Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s remark on women’s role in education in Assembly sparks row – women Panel Chief Jabs
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s remark on women’s role in education in Assembly sparks row – women Panel Chief Jabs
Nitish Kumar has faced a storm drawn from rivals over his remarks in Assembly
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s remarks in Assembly on the role women’s education can play in population control has sparked a heated exchange in the midst of the national women’s panel chief and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi.
The political rivals have accused the CM for violation of the decorum of the House.
The remarks also drew criticism from National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma.
Amidst demanding an apology from the Bihar CM, Sharma advocated that, if a leader can make such open comments so in a democracy, one can only imagine the horror the state must be enduring under his leadership.
The NCW chief also took a jab at women leaders from the Opposition, asking them to condemn Kumar’s remarks.
She tagged Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Chaturvedi trained her guns and accused the women’s panel chief of choosing “selective silence” whenever she was expected to stand up for women. She also unequivocally condemned the derogatory language for women adding that irrespective of her politics, even if it comes from an ally”.
She is also certain that CM will revisit his usage of words and apologise.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP’s remarks drew fresh fire from the NCW chief. Ms Sharma claimed that she had once approached Ms Chaturvedi with proofs against a former party colleague, but she had expressed her inability to act.
Ms Sharma wrote that her not so Dear Priyanka ji doesn’t she remember how she showed her inability to do anything against a leader who was once upon a time in her party when she showed her all the proofs of his deeds. How unbiased she was remember?.
Chaturvedi retaliated, questioning what had stopped the NCW chief from taking action. “Did she tie her hands, legs or seal her lips? She was in the position of power to do so! In fact she can still do it, but she knows what’s stopping her love for her party and its allies. Now that if she wishes to make it a slugfest, happy to help take it to conclusion!
She also dared the NCW chief to bring the allegation in public domain and pursue it. “She could not do it then and she cannot do it now since it is only she who has the evidence.
Chaturvedi added that she show her responsibility to the chair and do the needful rather than being a troll.
The slugfest did not stop there. Sharma accused the Rajya Sabha MP of “playing politics” and asked her to “do something other than party hopping”
Earlier, Chaturvedi, with the Congress, joined the Shiv Sena in 2019.
Responding to the women’s panel chief’s barb, Ms Chaturvedi called her a “joke”. “It is well within her powers to have reached out to any CM of the country, and didn’t need her! So please for once be true to your chair and the responsibility that comes with it before your silly personal attacks.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that
Kumar has now apologised for his remarks.
News Edit K.V.Raman
