BHOPAL : A video of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari making an off-the-cuff remark in response to a question about Imarti Devi, a loyalist of BJP leader and Guna Lok Sabha candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia, went viral on Thursday night, landing him in soup.
In response to a query about Imarti urging voters to support Congress candidates in Gwalior-Chambal region, Patwari had said, “Dekho aisa hai ab Imartiji ka ras khatam ho gaya, jo andar chaashni hoti hai, unke liye mai kuch baat nahi karoonga (The juice in Imarti Devi is no longer there. I won’t talk about the sugary syrup anymore).”
This set off a political slugfest in the state, with Patwari apologising for his deregatory remarks ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 7.
Patwari clarified that his intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings and that his statement was being twisted and presented out of context.
“Yesterday, I was questioned about an audio clip there. At that moment, my intention was only to avoid that question. The remark I made in that context is being twisted and presented out of context,” he said in a clarification.
“Imarti Devi ji is my elder sister, and an elder sister is just like a mother. So, I will only say that my context was only to avoid the question…Still, if anyone’s feelings have been hurt in any way, I express regret and apologise,” Patwari added.
“There was no negativity in my mind, nor was my intention to make fun. The only intention was to avoid the question. I apologise, and my context was misunderstood,” the Congress leader said.
Imarti Devi lodged a complaint against Patwari, leading to the Congress leader being booked under IPC section 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and the provision of the SC and ST Act, 2015, at Dabra police station in Gwalior. While condemning Patwari’s statement, the BJP leader demanded that the Congress leadership sack him as the state Congress chief.
Dubbing Patwari’s remarks as “anti-women” and “anti-Dalit,” MP minister Krishna Gaur claimed that the state Congress chief’s remarks “exposed what Congress and its leaders feel about women.”