BHOPAL: MP Congress Committee president’s item remark on Women and Child Welfare Minister Imarti Devi has heated up the political atmosphere in the state before the by-elections.
In protest against Nath’s remark, the BJP has observed silence across the state on Monday.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar observed silence in Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior, respectively.
Chouhan has fired off a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi demanding removal of Nath from all responsible posts of the party.
After observing silence, Chouhan addressed a meeting where he said he dashed off a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking action against Nath.
Chouhan said he expected that Nath would tender an apology to Imarti Devi by Sunday night for his statement against her.
The chief minister said Nath had crossed all limits of shamelessness.
According to Chouhan, Nath has said that item is not a wrong word and that he himself is an item.
After making comments on Imarti Devi, the way Nath had burst out into laughter indicates his pride, Chouhan said.
The people of the state are not as foolish as they cannot understand the meaning of item, Chouhan said.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took exception to Nath’s comments.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma served a notice on Nath seeking an explanation from him.
Sharma also shot off a letter to the Election Commission seeking action against Nath.
National president of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha Vijaya Rahatkar led a delegation to NCW and lodged a complaint against Nath.
Gist of CM’s letter to Sonia
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi has sought action against Kamal Nath for making comments on a Dalit woman minister.
According to the letter, as the comments are of serious nature, Nath should be removed from all posts and censured. So that all those leaders Congress men who make offensive remark on women may get a lesson.
Chouhan has written that after Nath’s comments it was expected that Sonia Gandhi would take action, but nothing of this sort has happened.
Nevertheless, a meeting of general secretaries discussed about the honour of women, but it kept aside Nath’s remark on Imarti Devi, Chouhan writes.
He further writes if the AICC president remains mum on the issue, it will be considered she has the tacit support behind Nath’s statement.
Elections may come and go, but such remark against a Dalit minister only spoil politics, Chouhan writes.
However, Nath has the audacity of justifying his statement, the letter says.
Nath justifies his remark
At a meeting in Mandhata, Kamal Nath said as he could not remember the name of the legislator, he uttered the word ‘item’ that is not offensive.
Former legislator Rajnarayan Singh is item number one and Ajay Singh item number two today, Nath said.
According to Nath, because the BJP has no issue, it is raising his statement like ‘item’ and his consuming Coca- Cola.
The word item is used in the Lok Sabha and in the Vidhan Sabha, Nath said.
