Jha, who holds the state's Public Health and Engineering portfolio, was reacting to Vadra's entry into police and said that votes cannot be garnered on the basis of pretty faces.
Senior BJP leader and Bihar minister Vinod Narayan Jha courted a controversy on Friday when he claimed that "just the beautiful face" of newly inducted Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not fetch votes as the democracy in India was now maturing.
Jha, who holds the state's Public Health and Engineering portfolio, was reacting to Vadra's entry into police and said that votes cannot be garnered on the basis of pretty faces.
"And if they think that Priyanka Gandhi is very beautiful, so if she has come into politics they will win all seats… they are mistaken. The democracy of India is maturing. Priyanka Gandhi is very beautiful, but apart from that I cannot see any other talent in her. Nor do I see her having prior experience in politics. Yes she is beautiful, God has given her that, but how much can that achievement be exploited?" he added.
The comment has been termed "sexist" by the Opposition leaders, who have not only demanded an apology from Jha but also sought his removal from the state council of ministers.
Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) President Madan Mohan Jha said the minister had forgotten his boundaries as well as etiquette. "The BJP leaders have become tested and are making public their anti-woman thinking. All misunderstandings will soon be cleared," he said.
Ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also came out in support of Vadra and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said Bihar CM Nitish Kumar should ask his minister to apologise. "I condemn the unparliamentary and indecent remark made against Priyanka Gandhi ji by the spokespersons trained at 'Nitish Institute of Abuse, Misuse and Excuse'. Nitish ji should stop making his allies say such statements," he said.
Earlier, another senior BJP leader and the deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi had targeted Vadra saying, "Duplicates do not work in politics. If look-alikes could become as talented, we would have had many Amitabh Bachchan and Virat Kohli. Priyanka may look like Indira ji, but there is a big difference between the two."
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