Assam Congress leader and former agriculture minister in Tarun Gogoi’s cabinet, Nilamoni Sen Deka’s ‘misogynist’ remarks against the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has been widely condemned.
Deka’s comments that ‘many refer to Smriti Irani as second wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ has caused widespread outrage on social media.
Leading the outrage was the BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who described the remarks shameful and took a dig at Sonia Gandhi for protecting him despite being a woman.
He said, “Shameful statement by a Congress Minister in Assam against Smriti Irani. Is Congress leadership headed by a woman protecting him?”
Shameful statement by a Congress Minister in Assam against Smriti Irani. Is Congress leadership headed by a woman protecting him?
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) December 27, 2015
There are reports that another Congress leader from Assam, Roopjyoti Kurmi, an MLA, also made a similar remark, again at a public meetings on Sunday.
Union Sports Minister and Assam unit BJP chief Sarbananda Sonowal said, “It reflects the polluted and perverted mind of the Congress. We demand immediate expulsion of Deka and Kurmi from Congress and strongest possible exemplary punishment to them for making such statements against a popular PM.”
This development has caused twitter to explode.
Here’s a snapshot of twitter conversation:
this is beyond sickening commentary about @smritiirani . The sexism is appalling, crass, indefensible, troll like https://t.co/98KRFhy6nD
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) December 27, 2015
What else u can expect from a party of Morons.
Remark on smriti irani and sh narendra modi ji is very very unfortunate..!!— Sankalp (@Sankalp_Ind) December 27, 2015
Disgusting comment by Assam Congress Leader on Narendra Modi and Smriti Irani
— Joy (@Joydas) December 27, 2015
Not easy for #CharacterlessCongress to take kindly to a woman like @smritiirani who is good-looking,successful,articulate,unapologetic&more!
— Sanju Verma (@Sanju_Verma_) December 27, 2015
Let's see how many so called woman rights activists & female journalists condemn this bad mouthing against Smriti Irani.
— chiranjivi (@eternalbliss86) December 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/Gotham3/status/681170548169154561
Nice to see people from within the Congress unequivocally condemn the comments of a party leader from Assam, on Smriti Irani
— Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) December 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/TajinderBagga/status/681133543867613184