Scoffing at Vinay Katiyar for his sexist remarks against her, Priyanka Gandhi said on Wednesday that it exposes the BJP’s mindset towards the better half of the country’s population while the Congress sought an apology for insulting women.
“Haha haha! He’s right, they do! And if that’s all he sees in my colleagues who are each strong, brave, beautiful women that have battled through all sorts of hardships to get where they are, then he makes me laugh even more. Because he exposes the BJP’s mindset towards the better half of the population of India,” Priyanka said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Katiyar said there are prettier women in his party than Priyanka Gandhi. “There are women more beautiful than Priyanka Gandhi. There are prettier women in the BJP. Priyanka Gandhi is not as beautiful as she is made out to be,” he said.
“What star campaigner? No, I don’t think that’s a factor. There are heroines in our party. So many others more beautiful,” Katiyar said, when asked if he thought Priyanka campaigning would be an advantage for the Congress in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls.
That he thought being a ‘star campaigner’ had something to do with how a woman looks – rather than political charisma – only goes to show that what’s more revolting and pernicious than sexism among many male Indian politicians is casual, unthinking sexism – the kind that comes as part and parcel of the language they use and their belief system.
Coming down heavily on the firebrand BJP leader, better known for pushing the Hindutva agenda, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said BJP has “insulted” India’s womanhood and such conduct, behaviour and words prove BJP’s mentality.
“BJP has insulted India’s womanhood. Such conduct, behaviour and words prove BJP’s mentality. Time for PM Modi and Amit Shah to apologise,” he said.
Surjewala said BJP-RSS suffer from a “deep rooted and retrograde anti-women mindset. There is a long list led by Mohan Bhagwat and Kailash Vijayvargiya”.
“Disparaging and atrocious remarks of Vinay Katiyar on Priyankaji reflect the petty and insulting culture of BJP that commodifies women.
“To adjudge India’s women by physical features and not by their capacity, capability, strength and sacrifice proves the lowly BJP mentality,” he also said.
