The Latest Sexist Attack Against Smriti Irani Shows Politicians Don’t Want To Focus On Real Issues

Whether it’s Priyanka Gandhi’s clothes or Smriti Irani’s marriage, it looks like personal remarks against female politicians are the only way their opponents know to counter them. 

What is wrong with Indian men in politics? Do they seriously have an underdeveloped cerebrum or is their brain completely devoid of any grey matter? A recent tweet showing People’s Republican Party leader Jaideep Kavade (shared below) making horridly sexist remarks on Union Minister Smriti Irani is an assault on women’s dignity and a slap to the Preamble of our Constitution.

The video aired in the tweet literally shows him saying loud and clear that the large size of Smriti Irani’s bindi is directly proportional to the number of husbands she had till now. And that amending the Constitution is not as easy as changing husbands. What kind of a debased comment is that? Is he so devoid of any practical, relevant and important issues that he must resort to cheap theatrics to make himself heard in the national arena?

— Chowkidar Manesha (@Manesha76) April 2, 2019

That’s exactly what is happening. With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections literally looming on the horizon, perhaps he thought that saying something completely nonsensical about your opponent ais the way to enjoy at least a firefly’s lifespan of popularity.

It doesn’t matter to these so-called leaders of neverland that their comments are extremely inappropriate, libelous and utterly humiliating to an individual. They choose such ways to attack women precisely because they think they can get away with anything under the tutelage of this patriarchal society.

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What this man has said is representative of a deep moral rot in our social and political fabric. Women in Indian politics have been blatantly mocked based on their physical features and attributes. Referring to her television career, Smriti Irani was earlier ridiculed by a Congress MP saying, “Aap toh TV pe thumke lagati thi, aaj chunavi vishleshak ban gayi.” (You were shaking your hips on TV and now you have become a psephologist). While he has now been held by police for the remark (and released on bail), it does not look like that will deter others.

Priyanka Gandhi’s recent entry into politics has been credited to her being beautiful enough to garner votes. Countering this personal attack on her, a senior Congress leader actually said that it was the BJP’s bad luck that they did not have anyone as beautiful as Priyanka Gandhi in their party. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was told by a very senior JD(U) leader that she needed rest because she had become very ‘fat’.

Who talks like this? This kind of body-shaming and mudslinging on women politicians has become the favourite pass time of misogynist male politicians. Such personal attacks and shaming of women is unacceptable and has to stop. Period. We will not let these men (across party lines) decide the dialogues of our society. Women today are standing up on their own and this womanhood is a force strong enough to knock out the winds of this misogynist sail.

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