The Haryana State Women’s Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports to issue a notice to Congress leader Randeep Surjewala for his supposedly vulgar comments towards BJP’s Hema Malini.
Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia stated that Mr. Surjewala would be called on April 9 to appear and justify the abusive statement. By this action, the commission again underscores how important it is to safeguard the self-worth and dignity of women in the public discourse throughout the entire world.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on X, purportedly showing Surjewala making objectionable statements about Malini during a political rally.
The video shows Surjewala saying, “Why do we make MLAs/MPs? So that they can raise our voice, get our views accepted. It is no Hema Malini, who’s made to lick?”
In response, Surjewala denied the accusations, attributing them to the BJP’s IT cell’s tendency for spreading misinformation. He clarified that his intention was not to insult Malini but to underscore the importance of accountability in public life.
Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia condemned Surjewala’s alleged remarks, emphasizing the need for accountability and respect in public discourse. She stated, “Surjewala has shown his upbringing by making such a statement. It is sad that such people who look good can be so dark in their mind.” Bhatia further added, “Congress has so far not taken any action. Surjewala has crossed all limits of vulgarity.”
The controversy has sparked a heated exchange between political parties, with the BJP condemning Surjewala’s alleged remarks as “vile and sexist.” BJP IT department head Amit Malviya shared the video on X, stating, “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.”
In response to the allegations, Surjewala took to X to defend himself, stating, “It has become a habit of BJP’s IT cell to distort and spread fake things, so that every day they can divert attention from anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies and failures of Modi govt and the conspiracy to destroy Constitution.” He reiterated that his remarks were taken out of context and manipulated for political gain.
Amid the social media storm, Surjewala’s clarification tweet read, “Listen to the full video – I said, ‘we also respect Hema Malini a lot because she is married to Dharmendra ji and is our (bahu) daughter-in-law.” He continued, “My statement was only that in public life, everyone should be accountable to the people, be it Nayab Saini Ji, or Khattar Ji, or myself.”
This controversy reflects the underlying political discord between Congress and BJP in the region, which will only intensify the existing competition for the upcoming elections. When time passes, both parties are ready to benefit from this situation to win political points and in this way, the importance of gender sensitive communication in both public and political fields arises.
