Chandigarh, March 12 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Member of Parliament, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, on Thursday appealed to the National Commission for Women to take cognisance of the "misogynistic and derogatory" remarks made by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann against women.
In a representation to commission Chairperson, she said the Chief Minister had while addressing students at the Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana related how he used to refer to women as yellow wasps and Pakistan “da jhanda” depending on the suits they wore and even wrongly told his friends about one girl being in a relationship with him.
“Even more disturbingly, one of the girls who refused his advances during his college days was forced to receive him at a function in the college where he had studied and had been invited as a chief guest.”
Harsimrat Badal said the manner in which the anecdotes were recounted during the function held to mark the International Women's Day before the academic community trivialised the dignity of women and appeared to “glorify hooliganism, eve-teasing and objectification of women”.
Asserting that such remarks were highly unbecoming of a constitutional functionary and the head of a state government, Harsimrat Badal said the very fact that Mann had made these derogatory comments at a meeting of impressionable college students had sent a dangerous message that the dignity of women could be trivialised and their identity reduced just to their appearance for the sake of public amusement and cheap thrills.
The Bathinda MP said this was a fit case for registration of a case of sexual harassment (Section 74), insulting the modesty of a woman (Section 79) and addressing acts intended to outrage the modesty of a woman (Section 75) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023.
She said such acts also ran contrary to constitutional guarantees provided under Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution that ensured equality before law, prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and safeguard the dignity and personal liberty of every citizen of the country.
In her letter she stated that the dignity and respect of women should remain non-negotiable in public discourse, particularly when statements originated from those entrusted with governance and leadership.
“I sincerely hope that the National Commission for Women will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and take appropriate action in accordance with law, ” she added.