Bhopal, Sept 28: Madhya Pradesh minister for tourism and sports, Tukojirao Puar, left a women's gathering aghast when he pointed his finger at the women assembled there saying 'you are all tigresses and your tiger is here. I am your tiger".
The state Congress soon took umbrage and alleged that the minister as in an inebriated state.
On World Tourism Day, the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation had organised the function at a five-star hotel here, and women delegates were honoured with seats in the front row.
When some women delegates began asking questions at tourism department heads about the facilities for tourists at heritage sports, the minister stood up, pointed his finger at a woman delegate who had been asking questions, and said "You are a tigress".
He pointed his finger at all the women delegates assembled and said: "You are all tigresses and your tiger is here. I am your tiger". There was a pindrop silence inside the hall, as the audience was stunned at the minister's innuendo.
When reporters went to Puar, a member of the royal family of Dewas, and asked him for clarification, he said: "Yes, I said it in English. Many people cannot understand Hindi, so I told them in English."
State Congress spokesperson Manak Agrawal said: "The minister was drunk. He purposely used an objectionable metaphor to dishonour the women attending the function."
Agrawal demanded that the minister should apologize for his remark.
Earlier, in the November 2008 assembly elections, Puar was arrested for misbehaving with a female returning officer. Puar was arrested after sub-divisional magistrate Sanjana Jain alleged that the minister was obstructing her from official work and threatened her over an election-related dispute. Puar was caught on camera having a heated argument with the woman SDM and throwing a bunch of papers at her.
