After Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his alleged objectionable remarks about women in the state Assembly made on Tuesday, JD-U leaders came out in support of the latter, saying that the BJP leaders insulted several female leaders inside the Parliament and did not even apologise for their statements.
JD-U MLC Neeraj Kumar said that the likes of Kiran Rijiju, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Naresh Agrawal and other leaders have insulted women in and outside the House, but none of them offered an apology for their ‘outrageous’ remarks.
“Our Chief Minister has apologised for the remarks he had made in the Assembly on Tuesday. He also condemned his own statement and welcomed those who are condemning his remarks. He has set an example,” Kumar said.
“Nitish Kumar has set an example after successfully conducting the caste survey and enhancing the scope of reservation for every person of the society. But the BJP-led Central government has failed to conduct Census in the country.
“Kiran Rijiju had uploaded a video on Facebook comparing the laugh of Renuka Choudhary to that of Surpanakha from Ramayans serial. BJP MP Narensh Agrawal had insulted Jaya Bacchan in 2018. BJP national General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had said that women look like Surpanakha when they wear bad dress,” Kumar alleged.
State minister Ashok Choudhary also came out in support of Nitish Kumar, saying, “He has implemented many welfare schemes for women. He has empowered the women in Bihar. If he had said something objectionable to the people, he has straightaway offered apology. He was talking about population control in Bihar.”
On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar left a number of female legislators feeling awkward as he explained his population control theory on the floor of House.
Elaborating on the findings of the caste survey, he contended that women’s education has helped the state control rising population.
However, his explanation made female legislators feel awkward as he used some risque language.
“After marriage, men ask their wives to establish sexual relations but as we have educated the women in Bihar, they ask their husbands to stop at the right time. Due to this, the population of Bihar is under check,” Nitish Kumar said, even as his remarks evoked strong criticism from the opposition BJP.
Slamming Nitish Kumar without taking his name at an election rally in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, PM Modi said: “A politician, who is acting as the flag-bearer of the INDIA bloc and is playing several games to uproot the current Central government, said something unimaginable inside the Assembly in front of women politicians. He made obscene remarks. ‘Koi sharm nahi hai unko’ (he has no shame). Not even a single leader of INDIA is ready to say even one word against this insult to women.”