Just a few days after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was slammed for his dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of the ruling party BJP, for allegedly discriminating against women, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday attacked him for terming the BJP an "anti-women party".
Congress VP Rahul Gandhi accidentally enters ladies toilet in Gujarat [PHOTO]
Swaraj claimed that her party has given four women chief ministers to the country. The minister was addressing over one lakh women at a 'Mahila Town Hall' in the poll-bound Gujarat.
6 women in Modi cabinet
"Rivals call BJP anti-women party but it gave four women chief ministers and four women governors to the country. Also, there are six women cabinet ministers under the BJP Government," Swaraj was quoted as saying by the IANS.
"I was made the EAM in May 2014 and now Nirmala Sitharaman is the Defence Minister. Two out of four Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) members are women now," Swaraj told media.
Apart from Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman, Uma Bharti, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Smriti Irani are ministers of cabinet rank in the Modi dispensation.
Women empowerment by BJP
Swaraj also claimed that the BJP was far ahead of the opposition when it comes to political empowerment of women.
"Prior to our government, no woman was ever been a member of CCS that comprises the Home Ministry, the External Affairs Ministry, Defence and Finance ministry," Swaraj said.
"The party is making every effort to resolve issues related to women's safety, empowerment and self-reliance," she added.
Rahul snubbed by BJP female leaders
Rahul had targeted the RSS on day two of the second leg of his Navsarjan Yatra across central Gujarat on Tuesday, he had asked why women of the Sangh are not allowed to wear shorts. "How many women are there in the RSS... Have you ever seen any woman in 'shakhas' wearing shorts," quipped the Congress vice president.
The BJP leaders, interestingly the women leaders of the party, were quick react to Rahul's dig and to deplore the statement. Union minister Smriti Irani called Gandhi's comments indecent and derogatory.
"If Rahulji believes that wearing shorts in India is a sign of empowerment, as a woman I want to contradict it," Irani had said.
BJP leader and former chief minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel also hit out at Gandhi allegedly insulting women with his comments.
"Today, he (Rahul Gandhi) said such undignified words for you that hearing which our heads are bowed in shame," said Patel.
Rahul was also criticised by another BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma.
"If your objective is to see women in shorts there's little hope you'll be able to do anything for women empowerment," tweeted Sharma.
