Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has defended himself against criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over remarks he made about actor-politician Hema Malini. Surjewala accused the BJP's IT cell of distorting facts and spreading lies.
The controversy erupted when BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video showing Surjewala addressing a public gathering. Malviya condemned Surjewala's remarks as "disgusting" and accused the Congress of misogyny.
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Surjewala responded by sharing another video from the same event, where he clarified that he respects Hema Malini and referred to her as "our bahu" (daughter-in-law) due to her marriage to actor Dharmendra. He accused the BJP of twisting facts to divert attention from the government's policies.
Mr. Surjewala said he only meant that every elected representative should be accountable to the people, be it him or (Haryana Chief Minister) Nayab Singh Saini and (BJP leader) Manohar Lal Khattar.
The Congress leader criticized the BJP for not holding Prime Minister Narendra Modi accountable for his derogatory remarks towards women in the past.
"These pawns of BJP never asked the Prime Minister why he said '50 crore ki girlfriend', called a woman MP 'Surpanakha', trolled a woman Chief Minister, used the expression 'Congress's widow' and described the Congress leadership as a 'jersey cow'," he said.
"My intention was not to insult Hema Malini ji or to hurt anybody. That's why I clearly said we respect Hema Malini ji and she is our bahu. The BJP is anti-women, so it sees everything from its misogyny-tinted glasses and conveniently spreads lies," he said in the post.
Hema Malini has not responded to the controversy as she is currently engaged in campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Mathura.
In response to Surjewala's remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of disrespecting women, labeling it as the party's only identity.
Surjewala's comments add to the series of controversial statements made by prominent leaders during the ongoing election season.
Earlier, both Congress's Supriya Shrinate and BJP's Dilip Ghosh received warnings from the Election Commission of India for their remarks and social media posts.
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