Birth to son is useful: Rajasthan BJP MLA's 'girl' budget remark sparks row
A controversy broke out in the Rajasthan Assembly after BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli compared the BJP government's budgets to the birth of a "son" and the previous Congress budget to a "daughter," triggering objections from Congress MLAs.
A political row erupted in the Rajasthan Assembly after BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli made sexist remarks during the debate on the state budget, comparing the BJP government’s budget to the “birth of a boy” and the previous Congress regime’s budget to the “birth of a girl.”
Participating in the budget debate on Monday evening, Weir MLA Bahadur Singh Koli said the BJP government had presented a “youth budget,” while the Congress had presented an “old-age budget” ahead of elections.
“When our first budget came, the whole of Rajasthan appreciated it. The second budget came, it was also welcomed. The third budget was also welcomed,” Koli said. “Our Bhajan Lal Sharma and our government gave birth to a son in the first budget, gave birth to a son in the second budget as well, and gave birth to a son in the third budget as well. The one who gives birth to a son in his youth is always useful.”
Targeting the previous Congress government, he added, “When Ashok Gehlot was the Chief Minister, he made announcements in the last budget, so a daughter was born but a son was not born. That is why you are sitting in the Opposition.”
Several BJP MLAs were seen laughing during his remarks. The Speaker did not object at the time, but Congress MLAs protested.
On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, criticised the statement, calling it discriminatory and inappropriate. “On February 16, your MLA, while speaking on the budget, made remarks that discriminate between a son and a daughter. Your MLAs were laughing. I feel ashamed that even today such thinking persists,” Jully said. He added that he has two daughters and recently married one of them, and said such views about daughters are unacceptable.
Jully demanded that the ruling party clarify its stand and said gender-based analogies had no place in a serious budget discussion.
Later, defending his remarks, Koli told reporters, “What is wrong with this? It is our Brijbhasha.” When asked whether his statement was inappropriate, he said, “Kya bayan galat tha? I said a good budget has been tabled; that a chhora (boy) has been born.”
He further alleged that the previous Congress government had presented a populist budget ahead of elections “to fool the public,” which he compared to the birth of a girl child.
A political row erupted in the Rajasthan Assembly after BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli made sexist remarks during the debate on the state budget, comparing the BJP government’s budget to the “birth of a boy” and the previous Congress regime’s budget to the “birth of a girl.”
Participating in the budget debate on Monday evening, Weir MLA Bahadur Singh Koli said the BJP government had presented a “youth budget,” while the Congress had presented an “old-age budget” ahead of elections.
“When our first budget came, the whole of Rajasthan appreciated it. The second budget came, it was also welcomed. The third budget was also welcomed,” Koli said. “Our Bhajan Lal Sharma and our government gave birth to a son in the first budget, gave birth to a son in the second budget as well, and gave birth to a son in the third budget as well. The one who gives birth to a son in his youth is always useful.”
Targeting the previous Congress government, he added, “When Ashok Gehlot was the Chief Minister, he made announcements in the last budget, so a daughter was born but a son was not born. That is why you are sitting in the Opposition.”
Several BJP MLAs were seen laughing during his remarks. The Speaker did not object at the time, but Congress MLAs protested.
On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, criticised the statement, calling it discriminatory and inappropriate. “On February 16, your MLA, while speaking on the budget, made remarks that discriminate between a son and a daughter. Your MLAs were laughing. I feel ashamed that even today such thinking persists,” Jully said. He added that he has two daughters and recently married one of them, and said such views about daughters are unacceptable.
Jully demanded that the ruling party clarify its stand and said gender-based analogies had no place in a serious budget discussion.
Later, defending his remarks, Koli told reporters, “What is wrong with this? It is our Brijbhasha.” When asked whether his statement was inappropriate, he said, “Kya bayan galat tha? I said a good budget has been tabled; that a chhora (boy) has been born.”
He further alleged that the previous Congress government had presented a populist budget ahead of elections “to fool the public,” which he compared to the birth of a girl child.
