New Delhi [India] : The chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma, came down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his ‘derogatory’ birth control remarks in the state assembly.
Lashing out at the Bihar CM over his statement that girls should acquire education to ensure that sexual intercourse doesn’t result in unplanned pregnancies once they get married, the NCW chief said, “Bihar CM spoke like a C-grade movie star on the floor of the Assembly. His remarks were remarks and his choice of words were hurtful. His conduct doesn’t behove a chief minister. His words sounded more like a dialogue by a C-grade actor than a CM. Even worse were the men (members) sitting behind him and laughing at his words. The speech, coupled with his hand gestures, almost made it into a crude joke.”
She demanded that the Bihar CM’s remarks be expunged from the Assembly’s records.
“As distasteful as the CM’s words were, what’s worse is that his remarks have been expunged from the Assembly’s records as yet. The Speaker should intervene in the matter and have his words expunged,” the NCW chairperson said.
Sharma also frowned on the women members in the Bihar Assembly for not staging a walkout in protest of the CM’s ‘vulgar’ remarks in the House.
During a debate on caste census in the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly, Nitish made bizarre remarks while underscoring the need for girls’ education to check population growth in the state.
The remarks drew outrage from the BJP as well as the National Commission for Women (NCW), which demanded that he tender an unconditional apology.
Chaotic scenes ensued in the Assembly the day after, as Opposition members, led by those of the BJP, rushed to the well raising slogans against the CM over his birth control remarks.
In the line of Opposition fury, the Bihar CM later apologised for his remarks in the Assembly.
“I take back my words and do apologise to anyone who I may have offended with my remarks,” Kumar told reporters as the BJP members prevented him from entering the Assembly.