Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, a BJP leader campaigning in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut is the latest to raise the outrage.
In reference to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, BJP’s Jayakaran Gupta said “skirt wali bai” in what was interpreted as a reference to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.
“One Congress leader loudly asks, acche din aaye (did you see good times)? They can’t see acche din when a skirt waali bai (those who wear skirts) is visiting temples in saris and those who avoid Ganga waters are treating it as holy,” Gupta said at public rally.
However, Gupta claimed that the remark was not aimed at Priyanka Gandhi. “That comment was not aimed at anyone in particular, BJP does not do politics to gain power. We want power to protect the culture of India and to make it corruption free. Under the able leadership of PM Modi, Nitin Gadkari ji carried out the cleaning of Ganga. Crores of people came from other countries as well for the Kumbh; those who used to wear skirts too came in saris,” Gupta told ANI.
He went on to add: “Sitharaman ji, Sushma ji, Smriti ji all of them have added value to the Indian tradition of wearing saris. Crores of foreigners came to the Ganga and even went to temples. My comments, therefore, are not aimed at anyone directly.”
Few sexist comments have been made since Priyanka Gandhi joined politics in January.
Last month, a BJP lawmaker Harish Dwivedi from Uttar Pradesh said, “Priyanka Gandhi wears jeans and top in Delhi but when she comes to rural areas she wears sari ad indoor.”
Another senior BJP leader, Kailash Vijayavargiya, had said that the Congress was fielding “Chocolatey faces” because it has a shortage of strong leaders. To clarify his stand, he said he had meant film stars and not any political leader.