PATNA: Senior RJD leader and former minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui on Saturday created a row in political circles by commenting that women with 'lipsticks and bob-cut hairstyles' would move forward with the enforcement of the Women's Reservation Act, attracting sharp reactions from its allies like JD (U) and Congress.
Siddiqui made the remark while addressing an awareness programme organised by the RJD's extremely backward cell in Muzaffarpur district on Saturday.
Siddiqui, however, resorted to damage control and defended his statement by saying that he had made such a statement as his audience comprised a lot of rural women. He said that he used 'typical village language' so that women could understand easily what he really meant.
He also claimed that his party had been supporting the women's reservation bill right from the beginning but in reality, RJD had been demanding a quota within quota to include OBC women. Siddiqui's controversial statement came days after RJD MP Manoj Jha created a political storm in Bihar over his 'Thakurs' remarks during his speech in Rajya Sabha on the Women's Reservation Bill.
Unconvinced by Siddiqui's defence, JD (U) MLC Khalid Anwar said that it was the right of women to apply lipstick or not or how to get their hair cut. It is condemnable that anyone raises questions on this and questions the fundamental rights to live. This is not the idea and culture of JD (U), he contended, adding that they should talk about the rights of extremely backward women but raising such questions is not appropriate at all.
Congress spokesperson Asitnath Tiwari said that it should be ensured that women from all deprived sections got the benefit of reservation but it was not right to comment on how women dressed and styled their hair. Such a remark cannot be supported, he added
RJD spokesperson Ajaz Ahmed supported Siddiqui's statement and said that what Siddiqui had said was based on truth. Unless a large section of people get their rights and entitlements in women's reservation, these women will not be able to get justice.
He alleged that the BJP was playing with the emotions of a large section of society by depriving them of their rights, stating that it was not fair at all. Instead of properly understanding the meaning of Siddiqui's statement, the BJP is doing politics on it, he alleged.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shreyasi Singh launched a blistering comment on Siddiqui for his comment, asserting that he did not consider people like Siddiqui as leaders. She alleged that people like him did not want women to progress and that is why they are making such statements.
"I demand an apology from Siddiqui for his comments on women," she remarked.
On the other hand, former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi accused RJD chief Lalu Prasad of giving misleading statements on the issue of reservation. He said that Lalu used to claim that BJP would remove the provision of reservation but the party had given 33 per cent reservation to women. He said that Lalu was also making baseless allegations that BJP would change the constitution.