Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP, Supriya Sule, on Wednesday brought into focus the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) doublespeak on women’s rights during the Women’s Representation Bill debate in the Lok Sabha.
Without naming either, Ms. Sule, who is NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter, reminded the house about disparaging remarks made by former Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil and unparliamentary comments by Eknath Shinde camp minister Abdul Sattar.
BJP’s mindset
Ms. Sule, the MP for Baramati, (in Pune district) was countering BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s comments about the opposition INDIA bloc taking the side of people who ran women down and spoke in a derogatory manner against women.
“There was a BJP chief of Maharashtra, who had said to me on record that I should go home and cook. Nishikant Dubey said that INDIA is on the side of people who ran women down and spoke in a derogatory manner. But this BJP leader told me personally on record on television that I ought to go home and cook and leave the running of the country to the BJP. This is what the BJP’s mindset is,” said Ms. Sule, alluding to BJP leader Chandrakant Patil’s statement.
During her speech, she also recalled Mr. Sattar’s offensive remarks against her without naming him.
Defiant misogyny
In May last year, Mr. Patil, then BJP State chief who was leading protests against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Ahhadi (MVA) government over the OBC reservation issue, had made an inappropriate remark against Ms. Sule Patil.
“If you do not understand politics, then go home and cook,” Mr. Patil had said, triggering widespread condemnation.
Likewise, in November last year, Mr. Sattar’s derogatory comments against Ms. Sule had triggered state-wide protests not just by the NCP but condemnation across the social and political spectrum including leaders in the ruling Shinde group.
A defiant Mr. Sattar had further provoked the ire of the NCP cadre when he said he stood by his expletive-ridden statements against Ms. Sule, leading to irate demonstrations outside his residence in Mumbai.
