New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s remark on the importance of women’s education in checking the country’s population has triggered a war of words between National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. Condemning his remark, Rekha Sharma demanded an apology from the Bihar Chief Minister. She also took a dig at the women leaders from the Opposition and urged them to condemn CM Kumar for his comment. Hitting back at the women panel’s chief, Chaturvedi said the former chose to remain “selectively silent” when she was expected to stand up for women.
Speaking on a caste census debate in Bihar Assembly on Tuesday, CM Nitish Kumar discussed the importance of women’s education and how it could play a major role in curbing the country’s population.
Reacting to his remarks, NCW chief took to X and wrote, “On behalf of every woman in this country, as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, I demand an immediate and unequivocal apology from the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. His crass remarks in the Vidhan Sabha are an affront to the dignity and respect that every woman deserves.”
“Such derogatory and cheap language used during his speech is a dark stain on our society. If a leader can make such comments so openly in a democracy, one can only imagine the horror the state must be enduring under his leadership. We stand firm against such behaviour and call for accountability,” Sharma wrote.
She further tagged women leaders from the Opposition, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), urging them to condemn CM Kumar's remarks.
Hitting back at Sharma, Chaturvedi said the former’s “selective silence and selectively action” were doing a “huge disservice to her chair as NCW chief which is supposedly non-partisan”.
“My dear biased, politically motivated Madam, I do unequivocally condemn any language used for women which is derogatory-irrespective of my politics, even if it comes from an ally. I am also certain that Chief Minister will revisit his usage of words and apologise. Unfortunately as far as I recall, whenever we expected you to stand up for women, you chose selective silence and selectively action- doing a huge disservice to your chair as NCW which is supposedly non partisan,” Chaturvedi wrote.
Responding to Chaturvedi’s post, Sharma referred to an incident when she had approached Chaturvedi with proofs against a former party colleague, and how she refused to act.
“My not so Dear Priyanka ji do you remember how you showed your inability to do anything against a leader who was once upon a time in your party when I showed you all the proofs of his deeds? How unbiased you were...remember?" Rekha Sharma said.
Chaturvedi shot back asking what stopped the NCW chief from taking action.
“What stopped you from taking action? In fact I had told you if you have the proof etc there's nothing much I can do! Did I tie your hands, legs or seal your lips? You were in the position of power to do so! In fact you can still do it, but I know what's stopping you, your love for your party and its allies. Now that you wish to make it a slugfest, happy to help take it to conclusion,” she posted on X.