New Delhi:
A massive controversy erupted after a fractious BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Sadhana Singh, called Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati 'worse than an eunuch'. The remarks of the BJP leader were sharply criticised by the BSP which said that the words used for Mayawati show the level of the saffron party. "After the announcement of this coalition (SP-BSP), BJP leaders have lost their mental balance and they should be admitted to mental hospitals in Agra and Bareilly," senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said.
Reacting to the SP-BSP alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP lawmaker from Mughalsarai had said that a woman who was disrobed is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than an eunuch".
“She (Mayawati) has no self-respect... she was almost molested earlier and yet... in history, when Draupadi was molested, she took a vow to seek revenge... but this woman, she lost everything, but still sold her dignity for the sake of power. We strongly condemn Mayawati ji. She is a blot on womankind. A woman who gulped insults for comfort and power ... is a blot on womankind,” the BJP leader had said.
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Singh was apparently refereeing to the 1995 guest house scandal when the BSP chief was allegedly assaulted by Samajwadi Party leaders. The incident took place at a Lucknow guest house after reports of Mayawati pulling out of the alliance with SP. Following the incident, the relations between the SP and the BSP remained hostile for over two decades.
However, the animosity ended recently, when Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their coalition for the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled to be held later this year. During the announcement of their alliance, the BSP chief had said that she had left behind the guest scandal for the sake of the country.
Akhilesh Yadav, who had declared during his joint press conference with the BSP chief for the announcement of the coalition that Mayawati's insult would be like his insult also condemned the incident, saying the remarks of the BJP leader was an "insult to the women of the country" and demonstrate the "moral bankruptcy and hopelessness" of the saffron party.
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Meanwhile, the BJP leader had no regret over his shocking remarks and she refused to apologise to the BSP chief. "I don't regret my statement. A woman who is unable to protect her own dignity is a blot on womankind. She forgot her disrespect for political gains. It's not only about her but the entire womenfolk, which has been let down," Singh was quoted by News18 as saying.
