Hyderabad: Singer Chinmayi Sripada has urged Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar to act on a series of abusive, misogynistic remarks made by a group of men during an X Spaces discussion titled ‘Male feminists’.
The online discussion, held on Wednesday, November 5, featured around six male participants who targeted Chinmayi and another woman, Yashaswini P, for their feminist views. The abuse included disturbing comments suggesting that feminist women should not be allowed to have children, and that their children should die young because feminism “normalises divorce”.
One participant, identified by the username Charan Reddy, said, “None of these (feminist) women should become mothers. Even if they have children, they should die immediately.” He also referred to Chinmayi using derogatory language. The accounts involved were reportedly deactivated soon after Chinmayi flagged the incident.
Yashaswini, who had responded to a post criticising Chinmayi’s husband Rahul Ravindran, was also targeted. Rahul had recently stated in an interview that he had told Chinmayi it was her choice whether or not to wear a mangalsutra, suggesting that visible marital markers should not be gendered. Yashaswini replied to a user who mocked Rahul, saying, “Pregnancy is biological, thali (mangalsutra) is literally not.”
During the Spaces discussion, which Yashaswini recorded and shared, she was subjected to abusive comments despite not actively participating. One speaker asked her to “take off her clothes to prove if she was a woman”, while another said she should focus on studying or risk “living on a man’s income”.
Chinmayi, expressing her distress, posted: “Please take cognisance of this. I am sick and tired of this everyday abuse and women deserve better in Telangana. If they dont like an opinion they can ignore and leave. I am happy to file a complaint and even if this case takes 15 years let law take its course. These men are basically saying my kids should die. Please help.”
Following the Commissioner’s acknowledgement of her post, Chinmayi confirmed she would proceed with a formal complaint.