Six women’s organisations, some of them Left-affiliated, have taken strong objection to Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh bringing a sexist angle to his meetings.
NEW DELHI: Six women’s organisations, some of them Left-affiliated, have taken strong objection to Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh bringing a sexist angle to his and CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat’s meetings with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Demanding a “public apology” from Singh for his language which was demeaning and insulting to women and Gandhi in particular, the women leaders said they were in bad taste.
In an interview to a news agency on Saturday, Singh was quoted as saying: “When Prakash Karat goes to meet Sonia Gandhi, it is called ‘suhaag raat’ (wedding night), but when we go to meet Sonia Gandhi, it is ‘balaatkaar’ (rape).” He was talking about the meeting between SP chief Mulayam Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.
In a statement here on Wednesday, Sudha Sundararaman of the CPI(M)-affiliated All India Democratic Women’s Association, Anie Raja of CPI’s National Federation for Indian Women, Mohini Giri of Guild of Services, Jyotsna Chatterjee from Joint Women’s Programme, Kalpana David of YWCA and Mary John from the Centre for Women’s Development Studies said, “It is quite shocking that a political leader can make comments in such bad taste about political relationships that involve a prominent woman leader of the country.”
“There are many women in high political office and in the leadership of various parties. Such remarks not only trivialise their role and insult the concerned individual, but are demeaning to all women. The women’s organizations strongly condemn this remark, which is totally unbefitting of a political leader occupying a responsible position. We call upon all democratic organisations and individuals to condemn this kind of verbal abuse.” “We demand a retraction and a public apology,” the women leaders said.
k_benedict@dnaindia.net
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