Mulayam remarks sexist,Talibani

Mulayam Singh Yadav has come under heavy attack from political parties,womens rights groups and even his former party leaders.

Mulayam Singh Yadav came under heavy attack from political parties,womens rights groups and even his former party leaders on Wednesday,a day after the Samajwadi Party chief made controversial remarks about the Womens Reservation Bill.

Addressing party workers at a function in Lucknow on Tuesday,Mulayam had said,I dont like to say this,but they (those elected due to womens quota) would be the women like wives and daughters of officers and businessmen,the kind who get whistled at.

Expelled SP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh demanded that the National Commission for Women take action against Mulayam. His remarks are sexist and I condemn his remarks. His remarks are Talibani,shameful and ridiculous, he said.

Jaya Prada,who was recently expelled by the SP,said Mulayams remark had hurt the sentiments of women. This is male-chauvinism and an effort to suppress women, she said.

The Congress too slammed Mulayam,with AICC General Secretary in-charge of UP Digvijay Singh saying,Such statements are not expected from a senior leader.

If he (Mulayam) had such feelings he should not have fielded his daughter-in-law as a candidate, he said. Mulayam’s daughter-in-law Dimple unsuccessfully contested a Lok Sabha by-election in Uttar Pradesh last year.

The BJP termed as disgusting the SP chief’s statement. I am astonished that a leader of the stature of Mulayam Singh Yadav could speak like this about women of India in this day and age. A woman is a woman,whatever her background. This is a disgusting statement. Even his own bahu (daughter-in-law) may stop respecting him. He is going the wrong way, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

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The CPM’s Brinda Karat said,If there is a logic to his opposition to the bill,he can express it. But precisely because there is no logic to his opposition,he is resorting to such a low level of political debate which is offensive to women.

The SP sought to downplay the issue. People have misunderstood him. All he meant to say is that the people will make fun of those women because they will not be well-acquainted with politics, party leader Yashwant Singh said.