Haryana: A woman arrived late for duty at MDU due to her period and was asked for ‘proof’ from the cleaning staff; made to remove her clothes in the washroom and
Shameful incident at MDU, Rohtak: Two supervisors suspended, State Women’s Commission takes cognizance
Rohtak – Alleged mistreatment of female cleaning staff at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak, Haryana, has shaken the entire campus. Four female employees who arrived late for duty have been accused of demanding ‘proof’ of menstruation. The women even allege they were asked to remove their sanitary pads and were photographed.
After the incident came to light, other women and university students created a ruckus. The university management suspended the accused supervisors and ordered an investigation against them.
According to reports, Haryana Governor Asim Kumar Ghosh visited Maharshi Dayanand University on October 26th. That day, some female cleaning staff were late for work. Supervisors Vinod Kumar and Vitender Kumar stopped them and asked the reason for their delay.
According to the report, the women initially tried to avoid them, but when they refused, they explained that they were menstruating, which was why they were late. The supervisor reportedly told them they were making excuses and demanded proof if they were menstruating. The victims told the university administration that the supervisor had a female employee remove their clothes and examine their sanitary pads. According to the women, photographs of their sanitary pads were also taken for verification.
After the incident, when the women told other fellow employees about the incident, they became enraged and began a commotion. When the university’s student organizations learned of the incident, they also arrived at the scene and began protesting against the incident. The report states that some female employees and students even tried to assault the supervisors, but university staff saved them.
Following the incident’s disclosure, the MDU administration immediately suspended two supervisors, Vinod and Vitender Kumar. An investigation has been initiated based on a written complaint submitted to the Registrar. MDU Director (Public Relations), Prof. Ashish Dahiya, stated that the university administration has suspended the cleaning supervisors, initiated an investigation, and handed over the case to the police.
State Women’s Commission Takes Cognizance
The Haryana State Women’s Commission immediately took cognizance of the matter and sought a detailed report from the Rohtak Superintendent of Police. Commission Chairperson Renu Bhatia said, “Demanding proof of menstruation is a direct insult to women. This is not only physical but also mental harassment. Strict action should be taken against the culprits to prevent such incidents in the future.” Bhatia stressed that taking women to the washroom in the name of checkups and checking sanitary pads is unacceptable.
In addition, Krishna Kumar, Chairperson of the Safai Karamchari Commission from Chandigarh, also visited Rohtak and spoke with the affected women. The Scheduled Caste Commission has also taken the matter seriously, as the victims include women from the Scheduled Caste category.
The incident has also gone viral on social media, sparking a debate on women’s rights. Several organizations have accused the MDU administration of negligence. Experts say that workplaces should establish clear policies regarding health-related leave for women to prevent such inhumane incidents.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News
