VIJAYAWADA: Tourism and Sports Minister RK Roja lashed out at former TDP minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy for his crass and derogatory remarks against her and said he should be slapped with slippers for making such comments against a woman minister.
Speaking to media persons in Tirupati on Tuesday, she said at a time when the country is celebrating the Women’s Reservation Bill finally being passed by Parliament, there are people like Bandaru, who force women to rethink to join politics, by making comments that will make society hang its head with shame.
“I think, hearing his remarks, Bandaru’s wife, daughter and daughter-in-law should have slapped him and asked, what will happen to them, if someone else make similar comments against them,” she said in an emotionally choked voice, while showing the video of Bandaru’s comments.
She said when police took this uncouth person into custody, the whole world rejoiced, except TDP leaders, including its general secretary Nara Lokesh, who condemned it. “Do they think the women in their families are only women and not others. How shameful,” she observed.
She asked the TDP general secretary how can he support such crass remarks and sought to know, “Why didn’t he question my character when I worked for 10 years for TDP? Is this how you repay me? Ask Chandrababu Naidu about the kind of work I have done for TDP.”
Roja said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his family supported her, but, TDP men on the other hand harassed and abused her. She accused TDP leaders of assassinating her character time and again in and outside of the State Assembly.
Roja said when she was in the TDP, she could not even win once, but in the YSRC, she became MLA twice and also a minister, with the public reposing faith in her.
“In the TDP after NTR, there has been no respect for women. TDP has now become Telugu Dandupalyam Party, Telugu Dushasana Party, cheating women,” she observed.
“Today, I want to ask all the women in the State to compare and note the difference on how the TDP is treating women and how the YSRC government is striving for the uplift of women. I will not tolerate if it repeats again in future. I will sue you, drag you to the court, file a defamation suit and ensure that anyone who abuses women is punished,” Roja said.
She also took to X and posted her anguish over the crass comments made against her and observed chauvinistic men like Bandaru not only abuse successful, vocal women but also pose a threat to all the girls, who aspire to follow their dreams.