Who's Savitri Thakur, minister who misspelled 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao'
Ten days ago, Savitri Thakur made headlines for being one of seven women ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet; now, she's making another headline, but this time, for a spelling blunder. The video of the uncomfortable situation, where Thakur struggled to correctly write Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in Hindi, is gaining traction on social media. The incident has now sparked mixed reactions and raised questions about her education, recent appointment, and qualifications for public representatives.
Minister's attempt to write slogan sparks controversy
According to reports, the newly-appointed Union junior minister for women and child development was invited to a government school event on Tuesday to write Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao on a board. However, she ended up writing something that resembled "Bedhi Padao Bachchav." Faced with severe backlash, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rushed into damage control, with party spokesperson Sanjay Sharma, stating, "Didi (Savitri Thakur) speaks the Nimari language and she was writing the same words which she speaks."
Video of the incident
Thakur's education and political background under scrutiny
In her Lok Sabha election affidavit, Thakur stated that she passed her "higher secondary, Urdu Education Board" in 2018 and declared ₹5.3 crore in assets. Thakur entered politics in 2003 after spending over a decade as a social worker, where she assisted tribal women in obtaining loans to become self-sufficient and played an important part in the prohibition of alcohol. In 2003, she joined the BJP and was elected to the district panchayat. The following year, she became the president.
Reactions and defense following minister's spelling blunder
Her major breakthrough in politics came in 2014, when Thakur won the Scheduled Trive (ST) reserved Dhar seat by over one lakh votes against Umang Singhar. She later went on to work on many posts at the organizational level too, becoming district vice president of the BJP in 2010. In 2017, the tribal leader was also made the national vice president of the BJP's Kisan Morcha wing.
