The JAC deplored women in positions of authority and visibility making disparaging remarks about other women, describing such conduct as unbecoming of their stature and responsibility.
Published Jan 13, 2026 | 7:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 13, 2026 | 7:34 PM
Representatives of the joint action council addressing the media in Hyderabad on Tuesday, 13 January.
Synopsis: The JAC demanded stringent legal action against actor Sivaji for his remarks against Anasuya Bharadwaj. It called upon the Women’s Commission to initiate prosecution. The council stressed that action should not be limited to one individual but extended to those who magnified the controversy through snide remarks, distortion and circulation of abusive content.
Women and Transgender Rights Organisations in Telangana have condemned attempts to link women’s attire with incidents of sexual violence, terming such narratives dangerous, regressive and rooted in victim-blaming that normalises misogyny and diverts attention from accountability.
Addressing a news conference organised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Women and Transgender Organisations in Hyderabad on Tuesday,13 January, the activists said a controversy over women’s clothes had been deliberately stirred up to perpetuate moral policing, harassment and cyber abuse against women.
The speakers referred to recent incidents involving actors Nidhi Agarwal and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and the sustained online abuse faced by actor Anasuya Bharadwaj and singer Chinmayi Sripada, as reflective of a deeply entrenched culture of misogyny and digital violence.
They criticised remarks made by a Telugu actor, Sivaji, who suggested that women’s clothing was responsible for sexual assault, triggering unrestrained debates on television and digital platforms.
The debate sought to justify misogyny as normal behaviour, emboldened abusers and deftly shifted the focus away from accountability for crimes against women, the speakers said, asserting that sexual violence has nothing to do with how women dress but with how perpetrators behave.
Biker and actor Swetha Varma cited National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics to underscore the gravity of the issue. She noted that India recorded 4.28 lakh crimes against women in 2021, 4.45 lakh cases in 2022 and over 4.5 lakh cases in 2023.
“Instead of addressing this alarming trend, public discourse is increasingly centred on policing what women wear,” she said.
The council deplored women in positions of authority and visibility making disparaging remarks about other women, describing such conduct as unbecoming of their stature and responsibility.
They also questioned claims made in defence of “Indian culture”, asking whether such arguments had any regard for the Indian Constitution, which guarantees women the right to dignity, freedom of expression and a life without fear.
The JAC demanded stringent legal action against actor Sivaji for his remarks against Anasuya Bharadwaj. It called upon the Women’s Commission to initiate prosecution. The council stressed that action should not be limited to one individual but extended to those who magnified the controversy through snide remarks, distortion and circulation of abusive content.
The JAC condemned television channels and YouTube platforms for glorifying abusive content in the guise of debates and sensational discussions, saying such practices violated women’s dignity and privacy. It announced that it would write to the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, seeking action against media platforms that fuelled the controversy and broadcast content that incited harassment.
“Placing the burden of violence on women while taking a lenient view of male behaviour is unacceptable. Telling women how to dress does not prevent crime; holding perpetrators accountable does,” the JAC asserted.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
