Union minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday, 15 April, said that Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav must not remain silent like ‘Bhishma’ as the ‘Draupadi of Rampur’ is being disrobed. Swaraj’s comment came in the light of Azam Khan’s alleged derogatory comments against actor and BJP leader Jaya Prada.
In a tweet, she said that as the patriarch of the SP, Mulayam Singh, must not make the “mistake” of not speaking out.
“The Draupadi of Rampur is being disrobed in front of you. Don’t make the mistake of being silent like Bhishma,” she said.
Swaraj also tagged party chief Akhilesh Yadav and leaders Dimple Yadav and Jaya Bhaduri.
However Akhilesh Yadav defended Khan’s comment during a rally in Moradabad on Monday and said, “We are Samajwadi people, we cannot use any bad language for women or for our daughters. (Hum samajwadi log hain, kabhi hum mahilaon ke prati aur betiyon ke prati koi galat bhasha istemaal nahi kar sakte.)”
Meanwhile other leader came out in support of Jaya Prada with Union Minister Smriti Irani saying that politics has its own place and respect for women.
“Derogatory comments were being made on a woman and SP leaders were sitting silently. I urge them that politics has its own place and respect for women in India has its own.”Smriti Irani, Union minister to ANI
Khan’s Statement Reflects SP’s Thinking: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Khan’s statement reflects the SP’s thinking and culture.
“This shows the thinking and culture of Samajwadi Party. The silence of SP chief, his ally Mayawati, who is also a woman, is surprising. This is very unfortunate...Azam Khan’s statement is extremely disrespectful, shows his cheap mindset.”Yogi Adityanath, UP CM
Khan is Filth & Muck of Indian Politics: Amar Singh
Former SP leader Amar Singh described his former party colleague Khan as "filth and muck" of Indian politics.
"Azam Khan is the filth and muck of Indian politics. He symbolises all the evils of the society," said former Rajya Sabha member Singh, who is considered as Jaya Prada's mentor in the north Indian politics.
Maintaining that it was "below dignity" for him to react to what Khan says, Singh, however, added, "Even in the last election he had distributed Jaya Prada's morphed pictures, besides launching a vicious propaganda against me and her."
Terming Azam Khan's rants as "nothing new", the former Samajwadi Party leader, who was once close to the party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, accused Khan of making various anti-India remarks in the past and dubbed him as a "symbol of foreign invaders" like "Nadir Shah, (Ahmed Shah) Abdali, Taimurlang, Chenghiz Khan".
Khan’s Remark Is an Insult to Indian Mothers: Amit Shah
Among several BJP leaders, BJP President Amit Shah also hit out at Samajwadi Party leader Khan and said demanded an apology from Khan, the SP, and the BSP.
"The disgusting comment made by Samajwadi Party leaderAzam Khan on BJP candidate Jaya Prada is an insult to mothers,” Shah said at a rally in Gujarat’s Kodinar.
"The comment on Jaya Prada is not on her but on crores of women. I would like to ask Samajwadi Party, Behen Mayawati ji and Rahul Gandhi whether they agree with Azam Khan's comment," Shah said.
What Did Azam Khan Say?
Without naming the actor, who is fighting as a BJP candidate from Rampur, Khan told the gathering in an election rally “... you got represented (by her) for 10 years. (aapne das saal apna pratinidhitwa karwaya).”
“People of Rampur, people of Uttar Pradesh and people of India, it took you 17 years to understand her reality. But I could recognise it in 17 days that she wears a khaki underwear, (Rampur waalo, Uttar Pradesh waalo, Hindustan waalo, usski asliyat samajhne mein aapko 17 baras lag gaye. Main 17 dinon mein pehchaan gaya ki inke neeche kaa jo underwear hai, woh khaki rang kaa hai),” said Khan.
However, Khan later claimed that his jibe was aimed at a “leader in Delhi.”
Congress Leaders Condemn Khan’s Statement
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that he “unequivocally condemned” the statement of Azam Khan, while party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said that his statement was “absolutely unbecoming.”
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