‘I Feel Insulted’: CM Raje on Sharad Yadav’s Fat-Shaming Remark

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Friday, 7 December, urged the Election Commission to act against Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav for his remark on the CM “putting on a lot of weight.”

“To set an example for future it’s important that EC takes cognisance of this kind of language. I actually feel insulted and I think even women are insulted.”

Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan Chief Minister

At a campaigning rally in Rajasthan a day before, Yadav had said that Raje should be allowed to rest because she had gained weight.

“Vasundhra ko aaram do, bahut thak gayi hain, bahut moti ho gayi hain, pehle patli thi. Humare Madhya Pradesh ki beti hai. (Let Vasundhara rest, she’s very tired. She’s also put on a lot of weight, she used to be thin before. She’s the daughter of Madhya Pradesh).”

Sharad Yadav, as reported by ANI

Yadav later justified his comment by saying it was a “joke” and was not meant to be “derogatory,” ANI reported.

“It was a joke. I have known her for a long time. It was in no manner a derogatory remark. I didn’t say it to hurt her. When I met her then also I told her that she is gaining weight.”

Sharad Yadav, LJD Leader 

This isn’t the first time that Yadav has made controversial statements about women.

In 2017, Yadav had enraged women across the nation for saying that the “honour of a vote, is more important than the honour of a woman,” The Times of India reported.

The newspaper had quoted him as saying:

“It is very important to educate people in a big way about how the ballot paper works. The honour of being able to cast a vote, is a much bigger honour than your daughter’s honour.”

“In 2015 too, he had passed a highly inappropriate, sexist comment, this time on women from South India, saying “the women of south are dark, but they are as beautiful as their bodies... We don’t see it here. They know dance,” The Times of India reported.

Although he was called out for both comments, Yadav had refused to apologise.