Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Thursday issued a clarification over his alleged derogatory remark on actor-turned-politician and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hema Malini. Surjewala has been facing backlash from the leaders of the BJP over the issue.
Surjewala said the video posted by the BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya was edited and distorted and he never intended to insult or hurt the actor-politician.
Malviya shared an undated video on social media platform X and accused the Congress MP of making objectionable remarks about Hema Malini.
“Congress MP Randeep Surjewala makes a vile sexist comment, that is demeaning and derogatory, not just for Hema Malini, who is an accomplished individual, but women in general,” the BJP leader said.
In the video posted by Malviya, Surjewala says, “Why people elect their MLAs/MPs? So that they (MLAs/MPs) can raise the public's voice. It's not like Hema Malini, who was elected to lick.”
Commenting on Randeep Surjewala's derogatory remarks, Hema Malini said that the leaders of the opposition should learn how to respect women from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While speaking to the media before filing her nominations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she said the opposition parties target only 'popular people'.
"They target only popular people because targeting the unpopular ones won't do them any good... They should learn how to respect women from PM Narendra Modi," she told reporters.
Referring to the video and the BJP's backlash, Surjewala said the video posted by the BJP leader has been edited, distorted and shared to distract the country from the Modi government's anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies and its conspiracy to destroy the Constitution of India.
"BJP's IT Cell has developed a habit of editing, distorting and spreading fake news so that it can distract the country from the Modi government's anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies and failures and its conspiracy to destroy the Constitution of India," he said.
In the video posted by Surjewala, he says, “We also respect Hema Malini a lot because she is married to Dharmendra ji and is our daughter-in-law.”
He further slammed the saffron party over the matter. "BJP's anti-women pawns were ordered to cut this video, but these same pawns never asked the Prime Minister why he - Why was it said "Girlfriend worth ₹50 crores" in Himachal? Why was a woman MP called "Shurpanakha" in the Parliament? Why was a woman CM trolled in such a vulgar manner? Is it correct to say "Congress's widow"? Is it right to call the top leadership of Congress a "Jersey cow"? My statement was only that in public life, everyone should be accountable to the people, be it Nayab Saini Ji, Khattar Ji, or myself. Everyone rises or falls based on their work; the public is supreme and they have to use their discretion in making their choice," he noted.
"Neither did I intend to insult Hema Malini ji nor to hurt anyone. That is why I clearly said that we respect Hema Malini ji and she is our daughter-in-law. BJP itself is anti-women, that is why it sees and understands everything through an anti-women lens and spreads lies as per its convenience," the Congress leader added.
(With inputs from ANI)
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