Randeep Surjewala has said he did not intend to insult Hema Malini
Under fire from BJP for his remarks on actor-politician Hema Malini, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has said the BJP's IT cell has developed a habit of distorting facts and spreading lies.
This comes after BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video in which Mr Surjewala is seen addressing a public gathering. While saying that people elect leaders to raise their issues, he makes a remark on Ms Malini. In his post on X, Mr Malviya said it is the "most disgusting description someone can come up with". "This is Rahul Gandhi's Congress. It is misogynistic and abhors women," the BJP leader said.
Mr Malviya also referred to the row surrounding offensive posts against actor and BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut from the social media profiles of Congress leader Supriya Shrinate. Ms Shrinate has said the posts were made without her knowledge.
Mr Surjewala today shared a video from the same event, in which he is heard saying, "We respect Hema Malini ji because she is married to Dharmendra ji, she is our bahu."
Accusing the BJP of twisting facts and spreading lies, he said the ruling party's objective is to divert attention from the Narendra Modi government's "anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies and its conspiracy to finish the Constitution".
"These pawns of BJP never asked the Prime Minister why he said '50 crore ki girlfriend', called a woman MP 'Surpanakha', trolled a woman Chief Minister, used the expression 'Congress's widow' and described the Congress leadership as a 'jersey cow'," he said.
Mr Surjewala said he only meant that every elected representative should be accountable to the people, be it him or (Haryana Chief Minister) Nayab Singh Saini and (BJP leader) Manohar Lal Khattar.
"My intention was not to insult Hema Malini ji or to hurt anybody. That's why I clearly said we respect Hema Malini ji and she is our bahu. The BJP is anti-women, so it sees everything from its misogyny-tinted glasses and conveniently spreads lies," he said in the post.
Ms Malini has not responded to the row over Mr Surjewala's remarks. She is currently on the campaign trail for the Lok Sabha contest in Mathura, which she has represented since 2014.
Hitting out at Mr Surjewala, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the only identity of the Congress is disrespecting the 'Nari Shakti'.
"Nari Shakti Apmaan is the Congress's only Penchan. And this has been yet again proved by cruel, crude, disgusting, misogynist and sexist statements by Surjewala, and those statements cannot even be repeated what he has said for Hema Malini ji," he said.
Mr Surjewala, a Congress general secretary, is the latest prominent leader to make headlines for his remarks in this election season. Earlier, his party colleague Ms Shrinate and the BJP's Dilip Ghosh have been warned by the Election Commission of India for their remarks and social media posts.