Bihar minister blames mobile phones for surge in rape cases

Patna: A Bihar minister today held mobile phones and non-vegetarian food as reasons for surge in rape cases and favoured ban on cell phones among school students.

"Many students misuse mobile phones by watching blue films and hearing obscene songs which pollute their mind," Bihar Art, Culture and Youth Affairs minister Binay Bihari told reporters outside the Assembly. He said he had caught two students watching blue film on their mobile phone during a visit to a school.

"You pay a surprise visit to any school and you will find costly mobile phone in the hands of students in the higher classes," he said, adding that they also exchanged 'dirty' SMSes. On the other hand, non-vegetarian food contributed to hot temper, he said and cited sermons of sants that pure vegetarian food kept the body and mind pure and healthy.

The minister, who is also an actor and singer in Bhojpuri language, urged that the use of mobile phones by school students be prohibited. "I will give a suggestion to Education department on this and also make surprise inspections to ensure that mobile phones are not carried by students in school," he said.

Though there was both advantage and disadvantage of mobile phones, which was a faster means of communications, he said for school students a mobile phone with internet facility was only a source of pollution of their mind. "Its like issuing license for a revolver to individuals in the name of self-defence, but misused for criminal purposes," he said. Asked if mobile phones were bad for school students, would it be good that phones was carried by MLAs in the Assembly, he said "No". "I do not carry mobiles inside the House during sessions," he said.