House witnesses two women leaders’ spat on women’s day
Women and child development minister Kavita Jain breaks down after arguments with Cong MLA Geeta Bhukkal who slammed govt for not holding statelevel event on women’s day; Bhukkal faced condemnation motion
women leaders had a spat with each other leading to one of them crying and the other facing condemnation motion during the ongoing budget session of Haryana assembly here the International Women’s Day.
It all began when Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal, while speaking during the discussion on budget, slammed the ruling BJP for failing to organise a state-level function to celebrate the women’s day.
Though women and child development minister Kavita Jain told the House that the women’s day was being celebrated at the block and district levels on Wednesday and a statelevel function would be held in Sonepat on March 15 after the ongoing budget session, Bhukkal repeatedly criticised the government over the issue.
Bhukkal, who was education minister in the previous Congress government, went on to say that since chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and others had openly admitted they were associated with Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological mentor, it was not expected of them to give equal rights to women as RSS was primarily a men’s organisation.
She said this was the reason the government did not organise a state-level function on the women’s day, being celebrated across the world on March 8.
Though all BJP MLAs immediately stood up objecting to her remarks against the RSS, parliamentary affairs minister Ram Bilas Sharma informed Bhukkal that RSS had a women’s wing as well, called Sevika Samiti, which has the same rights as RSS’.
However, when Jain told Bhukkal that she (Bhukkal) being a minister only unfurled flags and sat in her chair in the name of women’s day celebrations, Bhukkal retorted saying that everyone knew it was Kavita’s husband Rajiv Jain, and not the minister, who did her work.
This remark instantly evoked strong reactions from BJP MLAs who sttod up condemning Bhukkal’s remark. They demanded apology from Bhukkal who, they held, had not insulted a minister, but all the women. An anguished Jain also said that Bhukkal had proven that no one else but a woman was woman’s worst enemy. She broke down repeatedly saying this on the top of her voice which got choked.
Finance minister Capt Abhimanyu said Bhukkal’s remark showed her frustration of being out of power and she was “hurt to see Jain serving the state”.
He added, “The Congress should be ashamed of itself as its MLAs are laughing while a woman is crying. We would not let the House proceed till it condemns Bhukkal’s remark.”
As Ram Bilas Sharma brought condemnation motion against Bhukkal, which was passed by deputy speaker Santosh Yadav with a voice vote, Jain could be heard saying that her’s were tears of a woman, and not of a minister.