JOIN USSenior JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav on Wednesday defended his comment comparing a woman’s ‘honour’ to a vote, claiming that he has said nothing wrong.
Addressing a gathering of party workers in Patna on Tuesday, Yadav had said, “Beti ki izzat se vote ki izzat badi hai (the honour of vote is much above a daughter’s honour).”
The comment triggered a controversy, but Yadav defending himself by saying that he had not said anything wrong.
“People should worry about their vote as much as their daughter. Only then the country will progress. Don’t twist the facts or show my comments out of context,” Yadav said.
The JD (U) leader further clarified his remarks by saying: “There is a saying that vote and beti are both important Only then will the country progress.”
“We have been saying votes should be given as much value as one gives to their daughter. All I want to say is vote is the engine and driving force of the Constitution. Love and respect for vote and daughter should be the same. Everyone has a perspective,” the JD (U) leader added.
NCW notice
National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam said a notice will be issued to Yadav asking him to appear before the commission.
Kumaramangalam said, “Yadav has done it repeatedly. It has nothing to do with politics. There are so many people like him who demean women. We feel very strongly about it.”
Yadav’s comment has come in for severe criticism from CPM leader Subhasini Ali who said Yadav should be more sensitive in his comments. The ruling JD (U), however, expressed regret over Sharad’s statement. “Whatever Sharad ji said is being shown out of context. But if it has hurt the sentiments of some sections of the society, we are sorry for it,” said party national general secretary K C Tyagi.
DH News Service
JD (U) not to contest UP polls
Close on the heels of RJD chief Lalu Prasad making it clear that his party won’t field its candidates in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Janata Dal (United) JD(U), too, toed Lalu’s line and decided to stay away from polls in the neighbouring state, DHNS reports from Patna.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, JD (U) national general secretary K C Tyagi said, “The party, after discussing the Uttar Pradesh poll issue threadbare, has decided not to contest the election there.” The JD (U) leader, however, lamented that the Congress failed to stitch a Bihar-type grand alliance in UP which should have included the JD (U), the RLD and the faction of the Apna Dal.
“Much like in Bihar, there should have been a grand alliance of all non-BJP parties in UP so that the saffron march could be halted in the neighbouring state,” said Tyagi, while reiterating that party decided to stay away from the polls in Uttar Pradesh so that there was no division in the secular votes, which otherwise would have helped the BJP. The JD (U)’s decision on Wednesday is significant in the sense that party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had held six meetings in Uttar Pradesh last year and wanted to spread the party’s footprint outside Bihar.