Kolkata: President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit has kicked up a row by making sexist remarks in connection with the anti-gang-rape protests in Delhi and elsewhere.
Abhijit – an MP from Jangipur – said it was fashionable for women to take part in protests.
He said ‘highly dented and painted’ women first go to discotheques and then turn up for protests against the Delhi gang-rape. According to him, most of these women are not connected to ground realities.
"Those who are coming in the name of students in the rallies, sundori, sundori mahila (beautiful women), highly dented and painted," Abhijit told a vernacular news channel.
"Giving interviews in TV and showing off their children. I wonder whether they are students at all," he said, adding, "What's basically happening in Delhi is something like pink revolution, which has very little connection with ground realities."
However, Abhijit later withdrew his 'dented-painted' remarks and said they were not meant to hurt "any particular section or any particular sentiment".
Even his sister Sharmistha expressed "utter shock and anguish" and apologised on his behalf.
"I express my utter shock and anguish. I really apologise to every women, man and every sensitive person in this country... I am utterly shocked and only thing I can say is that I really apologise on his behalf... I am quite surprised with what my brother said," Sharmistha said.
Asked whether Abhijit should apologise for his words, she said, "I completely agree. He should immediately apologise.
"Not only as a President's son, but as any sensitive man, he should not have made this kind of statement. Forget about being a political leader, it shows a certain degree of insensitivity... My family is not like that," she said.
The gang-rape of a para-medical students on December 16 had evoked massive outrage with students in huge numbers staging protests in the capital. Some of them even turned violent and led to clashes between police and protesters.
Abhijit – an MP from Jangipur – said it was fashionable for women to take part in protests.
He said ‘highly dented and painted’ women first go to discotheques and then turn up for protests against the Delhi gang-rape. According to him, most of these women are not connected to ground realities.
"Those who are coming in the name of students in the rallies, sundori, sundori mahila (beautiful women), highly dented and painted," Abhijit told a vernacular news channel.
"Giving interviews in TV and showing off their children. I wonder whether they are students at all," he said, adding, "What's basically happening in Delhi is something like pink revolution, which has very little connection with ground realities."
However, Abhijit later withdrew his 'dented-painted' remarks and said they were not meant to hurt "any particular section or any particular sentiment".
Even his sister Sharmistha expressed "utter shock and anguish" and apologised on his behalf.
"I express my utter shock and anguish. I really apologise to every women, man and every sensitive person in this country... I am utterly shocked and only thing I can say is that I really apologise on his behalf... I am quite surprised with what my brother said," Sharmistha said.
Asked whether Abhijit should apologise for his words, she said, "I completely agree. He should immediately apologise.
"Not only as a President's son, but as any sensitive man, he should not have made this kind of statement. Forget about being a political leader, it shows a certain degree of insensitivity... My family is not like that," she said.
The gang-rape of a para-medical students on December 16 had evoked massive outrage with students in huge numbers staging protests in the capital. Some of them even turned violent and led to clashes between police and protesters.
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