Congressional leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called the comment on the “article” made by his senior colleague Kamal Nath about a BJP leader in Madhya Pradesh “unfortunate”, adding that he did not personally appreciate the language used.
Speaking to reporters, Gandhi said: “Kamal Nath ji is from my party, but personally, I don’t like the kind of language he used… I don’t appreciate it… regardless of who he is. It’s unfortunate. “
“I think our treatment of women, at all levels, needs to be improved… whether it’s about law and order, general respect, or how much space they are given in business, in government and elsewhere. Our women are our pride and must be protected ”, he added.
Reacting to Gandhi’s comments, Nath said he had already clarified the context in which he made the statement. “It is the opinion of Rahul Gandhi. I have already clarified the context in which I made that statement … Why should I apologize when I did not mean to insult anyone? If someone felt insulted, I have already regretted it, ”the ANI quoted former MP CM.
#WATCH वो राहुल जी की राय है। मैं क्यों माफी मांगूगा, मैंने कल कह दिया कि मेरा लक्ष्य किसी को अपमानित करने का नहीं था और अगर कोई अपमानित अहसास करता है तो मुझे खेद है: राहुल गांधी के कमलनाथ के इमरती देवी को लेकर दिए बयान को दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण बताने पर कमलनाथ pic.twitter.com/MzUQntvIA9
– ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) October 20, 2020
Kamal Nath on Sunday had caused a scandal after he referred to BJP Minister Imarti Devi as an “element” during an election meeting.
Addressing a rally in Dabra in support of Congressional candidate Suresh Raja, Nath had hailed him as a “simple man” as opposed to his opponent (Imarti Devi), who is an “element”. “Why should it take the name (of the opposition candidate)? Everyone knows that person better than I do. What an article, ”he had said.
Responding to Gandhi’s statement, Nath said that he had already clarified the context of his statement. “It is the opinion of Rahul Gandhi. I have already clarified the context in which I made that statement … Why should I apologize when I didn’t mean to insult anyone? If someone felt insulted, I have already regretted it, ”said ANI, quoted by him.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh also responded to Gandhi’s statement. He said: “If Rahul Gandhi accepts that Kamal Nath has made a mistake, then what will be his punishment.” He also raised questions about Nath’s appointment as chair of the congressional committee.
Earlier today, clarifying his position on the comments made, Nath said the word he used had “multiple interpretations” and accused Chouhan of politicizing the issue to gain miles before the state elections.
The former prime minister’s reaction came after Chouhan wrote a letter to the head of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, about his comments against Devi, a Dalit leader.
In a letter to Chouhan, Nath said that he has written nothing but lies in his letter to Sonia Gandhi. “I didn’t make any disrespectful statements in my speech at Dabra, but you fulfilled all the lies,” he said. Nath also claimed that the state has become the most unsafe state for women under Chouhan’s reins and has been ranked number one in crimes against women in the past 15 years.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also asked Nath for an explanation of her comments. NCW has also referred the matter to the Elections Commission for action.
In another incident, a BJP minister in Madhya Pradesh also faces criticism for allegedly using a derogatory term for the wife of a candidate for Congress. In a video that went viral on Monday, Minister Bisahulal Singh, who is contesting the November 3 Assembly pass from Anuppur, was heard describing the second wife of Congressional candidate Vishwanath Singh Kunjam as “lover.”
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