Jammu and Kashmir Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah's "make-up kit" remark today led to a protest bystate's women panchayat members, who termed the statement asan "insult" to women.
A large number of women members from Ganderbal, Omar'shome constituency, took out a protest march at Beehama Chowknear the national highway connecting Srinagar with Leh.
"Omar's remark is an insult to women members who havefought the battle from within and outside to take part in thedemocratic process and work at the grassroots level for thebetterment of people," a protesting panchayat member Ayeshasaid, asking the chief minister to withdraw his comment.
She said the members are ready to resign if the chiefminister can prove that they have taken any make-up kits fromthe PDP.
The panchayat members are wise enough to vote for asuitable candidate and they do not need to be taught whom tosupport, she asserted.
Addressing a gathering in Ganderbal on November 29, Omarhad accused the PDP leadership of luring women panchayatmembers by providing them make-up kits to secure their supportin the forthcoming legislative council elections in the state.
Refuting his allegations, PDP had yesterday criticised thechief minister statement, terming it a remark intended todiscourage women of the state from being empoweredand assigned the much-deserved political space.