Wednesday’s Parliament session was both eventful and deeply disturbing.
Social media had it’s fair share of fun with #SleepingBeautyRahul after photos of the Congress Vice President went viral.
And then there was that perturbing reminder that a male politician might get away with the most sexist remark. Except, this time, to our pleasant surprise, he did not.
BJP’s UP vice president Dayashankar Singh’s remark comparing BSP supremo Mayawati to a ‘prostitute’ on Wednesday did not go down too well with the BJP, who immediately sacked the leader.
But this is not the first time the party has been left red faced due to vicious, offensive and venomous statements by some of its leaders.
Sakshi Maharaj and Reproducing 4 Hindu Children
A BJP MP from Unnao, UP, Maharaj has courted his fair share of controversies. For him Gandhi’s assassin, Nathrum Godse was a “patriot and martyr.” During a rally in Meerut in 2015, he asked Hindu women to produce “at least 4 children” to “protect” Hinduism. Defending Ghar Wapsi, he had also argued for death sentence for anybody indulging in cow slaughter or religious conversion.
And about Ram Mandir, he said:
No power in this world can stop construction of Ram Mandir in the holy land of Ayodhya. The mandir will be build come what may.
Shah Rukh Khan is a Pakistani Terrorist: Yogi Adityanath
Shah Rukh Khan should remember that if a huge mass in society would boycot his films, he will also have to wander on streets like a normal Muslim...I am saying these people are speaking in a terrorist’s language.Yogi Adityanath, BJP Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur
These comments came at a time when the ‘intolerance’ debate had gripped the country in November, 2015.
And this wasn’t all.
He also compared Badshaah Khan to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed and asked him to go to Pakistan.
Sadhvi Prachi and Making ‘India Muslim Free’
Prachi, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader is not directly related to the BJP, but her pro-Hindutva rhetoric has been an embarrassment to the party. She has called for making “India Muslim-free”, announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh to any person “who will behead” Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and wishes to boycott Shah Rukh Khan, for being, well, a Muslim.
In the light of Dadri lynching, Prachi opnely legitimsed “such action” against anybody who consumes beef. She also thinks anybody who does not chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ does not have any right to live in India.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s ‘Haramzaada’ Comment
It was at a rally in West Delhi’s Shyam Nagar, that BJP Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti asked voters to choose between ‘Ramzaade’ or ‘Haraamzaade.’
Aapko tay karna hai ki Dilli mein sarkar Ramzadon ki banegi ya har**zadon ki. Yeh aapka faisla hai (you have to decide whether Delhi will get a government of those born of Ram or of those born illegitimately.)
The venomous rhetoric not only embarrassed the BJP, it was indicative of how easily a leader can get away with deeply disturbing polarised hate speeches.
In August 2015, she also urged Hindu women to never ‘marry out of their community’ as it disrupts religious ‘equilibrium.’
Giriraj Singh and His Obsession With Pakistan
Giriraj Singh is a prominent BJP face in Bihar. But he created quite a storm when he called Modi’s detractors Pakistanis.
Those who want to stop BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will soon have no place in India…because their place will be in Pakistan.
Babulal Gaur and His (Obnoxious) Understanding of Rape
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was discussing the discourse of women’s safety at Red Fort on independence day, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Babulal Gaur was enlightening people with his warped understanding or rape.
For Gaur, rape is a social crime that is “sometimes right, sometimes wrong.” He also believes a government cannot ensure women’s safety or whether they get raped.
Mohan Bhagwat, Of Course
The talk of leaders and vicious remarks will be incomplete without mentioning BJP’s parent organisation RSS’ chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Bhagwat feels India is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is its identity. “Hindustan is a Hindu nation…Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself,” he said.
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