NEW DELHI: Outraged over remarks of Congress leader Kamal Nath about a Dalit woman leader of his state, several BJP leaders reacted angrily and questioned the silence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders of her party, including Rahul Gandhi.
"Congress president Sonia Gandhi says Democracy is in danger. We agree fully. Yesterday was a day when her party’s ex CM of MP Kamalnath mentions Imarati Devi, a BJP candidate and a Dalit woman as ‘item’ in his speech,” tweeted BJP general secretary (organisation), BL Santhosh.
Senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath on Sunday referred to Dalit leader from the BJP Imarti Devi as ‘item’ at a political rally. The Congress supporters present in the crowd were found hooting and cheering at the “despicable” remark from Kamal Nath, known as a close aide of Rahul Gandhi.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju said senior Congress leader Kamal Nath not only referred a Dalit woman candidate as 'an item' but also insulted Mizoram and Tripura as insignificant small States! “But still there's no outrage from fake crusaders of feminism on this demeaning statement!!” Rijiju added.
BJP social media head Amit Malviya said Sonia Gandhi should stop pretending to worry about India’s democracy. “It has done well to keep the likes of Kamalnath, the man with blood on his hand for the 1984 Sikh genocide, who called Imrati Devi, a Dalit and a former minister ‘item’, out of power,” Malviya tweeted, adding, “Disgusting misogyny...”.
Addressing a meeting of AICC, Sonia Gandhi has on Sunday said the Indian democracy is passing through its "most difficult phase”.