The Congress on Monday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of "insulting" women in an article put out on his website and demanded his apology while asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader for his "disparaging" remarks.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged Adityanath, in the article, had "belittled" and "disrespected" women which "reflects his and the BJP's anti-women mindset".
He said that the article argued that women need to be protected by men all the time and should not be allowed to be set free and likened them with a "devil" if they become powerful, brave and chivalrous like men.
He, however, did not mention when the article, written in Hindi, was uploaded on the website. The portal also did not mention the date when the article was uploaded.
Surjewala added that the article also states that women as energy cannot be left uncontrolled or independent as this can lead to "wastefulness or destruction" of women, which is "shocking".
The Congress leader demanded that "Adityanath must forthwith apologise to women of India for his disparaging, distasteful and dishonourable remarks" and withdraw the article from his website without any condition.
He also demanded that Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah "condemn" such remarks and issue Adityanath an advisory that "never hereinafter will he ever use such distasteful language to dishonour and disrespect India's women power".
Surjewala said that the prime minister had talked of women's development on Sunday itself and now his chief ministers were belittling women.