In a statement that is bound to raise the hackles of feminists and women's rights activists, Janata Dal-United (JD-U or JDU) leader Sharad Yadav has not only compared the honour of the ballot to the honour of women, but also said that the former is greater. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sent a notice to Yadav over his comments.
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Speaking at a rally in Patna on Tuesday, January 24, he said: "There should be a widespread campaign among people on the importance of a ballot paper. The honour of a vote is greater than the honour of a daughter." He went on to add: "If a daughter is dishonoured, then the locality or the village is dishonoured. But if a vote is sold, the country is dishonoured and the our dreams remain unfulfilled."
He later clarified that the vote and the daughter should receive equal amounts of love.
Yadav has made such controversial — and often sexist — remarks several times, and current Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is known to have replaced him as JDU chief in the wake of such controversial statements.
Here are the five other times Sharad Yadav lodged his foot firmly in his mouth:
1. In August last year, he had linked unemployment to the rising number of Kanwariyas, hurting religious sentiments. He had said: "1.3 crore youths are becoming unemployed each annum and the Kanwariyas who go to offer prayers highlight the growing unemployment."
2. He had opposed the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament by saying it would benefit only ""par-kati auratein" — his way of describing well-off women.
3. In October 2015, before the Bihar Assembly elections, Yadav was censured by the Election Commission (EC) for his comment: "Those who do not keep their promise, then the Hindus will not get a place in heaven and Muslims will not meet Allah in paradise." The EC said he had violated the Model Code of Conduct.
4. Sharad Yadav had also been in the eye of the storm for making comments in Parliament about the complexion and dancing skills of South Indian women, and then getting into a spat with BJP MP Smriti Irani when she objected to his remarks.
5. In April 2015, he had also maligned the Padma awards, saying: "Samajwadi people (Socialists) should spurn Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. These awards are given to only those people who are dishonest."
