New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Congress-led INDIA bloc for its silence over Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant's sexist comments against Shaina NC, a BJP leader who joined the Shinde Sena faction to contest the November 20 Maharashtra election.
The opposition used "foul language" against a woman leader", Mr Modi said in an election speech in Jharkhand, where too an Assembly election will be held this month. The INDIA bloc, allied with the Thackeray Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP in Maharashtra and with Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the latter, is seen as the BJP's primary opposition in each.
"Mothers and daughters are in shock (and the) people will teach them a lesson," the Prime Minister declared, also attacking the Congress for "humiliating" Sita Soren, his party's candidate in this election and the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Arvind Sawant - a Lok Sabha MP - made the objectionable comments last week during a media interaction. He had been asked about Ms Shaina's chances in the coming election.
Responding to his remark, Ms Shaina said, "I am not some 'maal' (goods). I am a daughter of Mumbai and working dedicatedly for the past 20 years. This is a crass comment by Sawant. I am a 'mahila' (woman), not a 'maal'. Everyone knows that the Maha Vinash Aghadi (a play on the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition) has no respect for women."
"We (BJP) campaigned for him... ask him where he was from. I am a 'laadli' (beloved) daughter of Mumbai, and I am working for the people of the city. I don't need any certificates from Mr Sawant or the Shiv Sena (UBT)."
Mr Sawant later claimed that he had a good equation with Shaina NC and she may have misunderstood his comment. "It refers to 'goods', but she could have misinterpreted it. I had no such intentions," he said.
A police case has been registered against Mr Sawant.