Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has once again stirred discussion over relationships and marriage after urging young people not to abandon women after having children with them.
Speaking at Maharshi University of Information Technology, Lucknow on Thursday, Patel said young people should first become financially independent and take responsibility for the relationships they enter.
“There is no harm in making a girlfriend. If you make a girlfriend, then get married too. It is wrong to abandon a girl after making her a mother. Youths, first become self-reliant,” Patel said.
Her remarks come months after she faced criticism over comments on live-in relationships and women’s roles.
In October 2025, Patel had warned young women against live-in
relationships while speaking at university convocations in Ballia and Varanasi. In Ballia, she said that those wanting to see the consequences of live-in relationships should visit an orphanage, where, according to her, young women could be seen with children.
A day later, at a convocation in Varanasi, she warned women to stay away from live-in relationships, saying they could otherwise face violent consequences. Her remarks, including the reference to women being found “in 50 pieces”, drew widespread criticism.
Patel’s comments on relationships were followed by another controversy in July 2026, when she told women at a university convocation in Kanpur that they should strive to become “expert mothers” before becoming IAS officers or teachers. She also spoke about women learning to cook and balancing careers with family responsibilities.
The latest remarks again place Patel’s views on relationships, marriage and family responsibilities in the spotlight. While she has repeatedly framed such comments around women’s safety and social responsibility, her statements have also triggered debate over gender roles and the choices available to young women.
