Reacting to BJP leader Vinay Katiyar's controversial remarks that there are prettier campaigners than her, Priyanka Gandhi today said it exposes saffron party's mindset towards better hald of the population.
"Haha haha! He's right, they do! And if that's all he sees in my colleagues who are each strong, brave, beautiful women that have battled through all sorts of hardships to get where they are, then he makes me laugh even more. Because he exposes the BJP's mindset towards the better half of the population of India," Priyanka said.
Her husband Robert Vadra too reacted sharply to Katiyar's remarks.
"Shocked at misogynist and atrocious remarks of BJP MP Vinay Katiyar saying there were “prettier star campaigners” in his party than Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. This exposes the shameful mindset of some of our political leaders," he said.
"We all need to respect women and accept them as equals instead of commoditising and objectifying them. As a society, we need to bring in a change. Vinay Katiyar should publically apologise for his remarks," Vadra said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinay Katiyar is the latest addition to the growing list of politicians who do not shy away from making sexist remarks against women.
The Rajya Sabha MP today roused controversy after he said that if Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Vadra could get votes for her “beauty”, the BJP too had “beautiful” people.
“There are many beautiful star campaigners. There are many heroines and artistes who are more beautiful,” said Katiyar in a comment likely to haunt the BJP in the coming Assembly elections.
Katiyar, who is also the founder-president of Bajrang Dal, made these remarks when he was asked about the election campaign.
Reacting to Katiyar's remark, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Office said, "He exposes BJP's mindset towards the better half of the population of India."
Katiyar's comment has come hours after another Rajya Sabha MP and JDU leader Sharad Yadav said that the honour of the vote was more important that the honour of a woman.
"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," he said in an address reported by ANI along with a video of the Janata Dal (U) politician's speech.
And Sharad Yadav didn't stop there - just in case anyone didn't understand what he meant.
"If a daughter's honour is violated, her neighbourhood and her village lose their honour, but if a vote is sold, it is the country's honour that goes. All our dreams for the future evaporate," Yadav, who's a Rajya Sabha parliamentarian, said.
