Bhopal: Infamous for publicly making controversial statements, veteran BJP MLA from northern Madhya Pradesh’s Guna seat, Pannalal Shakya has done it again -- this time by referring to Goddess Sita (Lord Ram’s wife) as Maut ka Saman (material for death) and stating that only men and no women died in the wars described in Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Importantly, much before the opposition Congress took umbrage to the septuagenarian second-time BJP legislator’s remarks, Shakya’s own party’s colleague, the first-time MLA from Chachoura seat, Priyanka Meena Penchi objected from the same stage to her senior’s comments, leading to a verbal disagreement between the two legislators, who represent two different generations.
The incident happened on Tuesday on the stage of the Balram Krishi Mahotsav organized at the Nanakhedi Agricultural Produce Market premises in Guna district.
Addressing the event, the second-time Guna-SC MLA Pannalal Shakya said, “During the Ramayana era, many people advised Ravana, asking why he had brought another man's wife, saying that this was nothing but Maut Ka Saman (material for death), so send her back with due respect, but if you look at that battle, no women were killed, only men died. The same happened in the Mahabharata, one crore men were killed over one Panchali (Draupadi), no women were killed.”
“Then comes the next era, Prithviraj Chauhan, because of one Sanyogita, got several of his own feudatories killed between Kannauj and Delhi, and we are still suffering the consequences of that to this day,” Shakya said.
While the entire crowd laughed at the BJP veteran’s utterances, the ruling party’s first-time legislator from the adjoining Chachoura constituency, Priyanka Meena Penchi, registered her strong protest, objecting to her senior’s references about women. “Bhai Sahab ye galat baat (What you are saying is completely wrong, I as a woman is hurt by your statements),” she said, even as Shakya responded telling her to sit down.
“I’ve read many books and know what happened where. Kindly sit down,” Shakya told Meena amid her strong objection to his statements.
The opposition Congress too condemned the BJP veteran’s statements. While posting Shakya’s video in which the ruling party’s veteran was seen making the controversial statements, leader of opposition in MP Vidhan Sabha, Umang Singhar posted on X. “BJP MLA called Mother Sita 'material for death'. The true character of the BJP, which does politics day and night in the name of Lord Ram, is that it merely engages in politics in the name of religion. Calling Mother Sita 'material for death' is not only a mockery of religious sentiments, but also an insult to Lord Shri Ram and to our mothers and sisters. First, theft in Lord Ram's home, and now the insult to Mother Sita. Why is the BJP, which raises issues over getting religious sentiments hurt on trivial matters, silent now?”
With his statements snowballing into a political controversy, the BJP MLA released a video in the night, claiming that his statements were misinterpreted. “My utterances have been misinterpreted, what I meant to say was that all those who have insulted women, have gone on to suffer downfall.”
Importantly, the elderly BJP politician hasn’t triggered controversy with his statements for the first time, but has a long list of more controversial speeches in the past.
In December 2017, Shakya questioned former Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli's patriotism because Kohli had married actor Anushka Sharma in Italy. Shakya argued that Kohli had earned his fame and money in India but had chosen to spend money on his wedding abroad. He contrasted this with the marriages of figures such as Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Yudhishthira, which he said took place in India. His reported argument was essentially that “he earned money in India… but he didn’t find any place to marry in the country” and that this showed a lack of patriotism. The remarks attracted considerable criticism because they connected a private decision about where to marry with a person's patriotism
In March 2018, he kicked up a row with another highly controversial statement while speaking at a function at a government Girls' Degree College in Guna. Discussing crimes and atrocities against women, he asked why girls had boyfriends and argued that if girls stopped having boyfriends, crimes against them would also stop.
Three months later in June 2018, Shakya again attracted controversy with remarks concerning women and motherhood. Referring to an old couplet, he said women should preferably remain childless rather than give birth to children who were not sanskari—roughly meaning virtuous, well-cultured or morally upright.
In July 2024, at the inauguration of a PM College of Excellence in Guna, while speaking to students, Shakya said they should remember that “nothing is going to happen” merely by obtaining a college degree and suggested that they could instead open a motorcycle puncture-repair shop so that they could at least earn a livelihood.