Ranchi MLA CP Singh on Saturday accused the Congress party leaders of disrespecting women and treating them like “bonded labourers” over alleged misbehavior of a Congress party spokesperson with BJP’s woman leader Arti Kujur recently.
Addressing media persons at the BJP state headquarters in Ranchi, Singh, a former minister, said that the Congress party should apoligise to Kujur, a president of BJP women’s wing, for the misbehavior meted out to her by Congress leader Alok Dubey during a demonstration of the saffron party’s women’s wing outside the Congress bhawan in Ranchi.
The members of BJP’s women’s wing staged a protest outside the Congress Bhawan in Ranchi on Thursday against Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s alleged ill-treatment of women on International Women’s Day. The BJP woman leaders alleged that Hooda made women pull tractors on March 8, which was demeaning and uncalled-for.
“Congress leader Alok Dubey tried to silence our leader Arti Kujur by placing his hand on her mouth. Our party will not tolerate such disrespect of women,” Singh said on Saturday, seeking a public apology from the Congress party for their alleged misbehavior.
The Congress leader’s actions, Singh said, not only showed that the party treats women poorly, but also highlights how the Congress party was trying to suppress the voice of citizens in a democratic structure.
“Trying to cover a woman’s mouth with your hand to silence her voice is not healthy politics. It is not something we have learnt in years of politics in India. The Congress party must change their approach towards women and treat them with respect,” Singh said.
Later in the day, Dubey retaliated by taking jibes at some BJP leaders who are facing charges of crimes against women. Dubey, in a press communiqué, stated that the BJP has stooped down to a level where it is practicing “issue-less” politics.
“They do not have concrete issues to target other parties, so they have started practicing issue-less politics,” said Dubey, adding that the Congress party does not need to learn how to respect women from the BJP.
Dubey said that the BJP has started the trend of staging protests outside offices of political parties, and it may have to get a taste of its own medicine soon. He said that Congress leaders wanted to welcome the BJP woman leaders with tea and biscuits on the day of protest, but the women leaders did not wish to have a dialogue.
“At a time when farmers are protesting for over 100 days and inflation is burning a hole in the pocket of commoners, the BJP is busy finding issues that can divert people’s attention from the real problems,” he said.