Shillong: Stopping short of condemning the
`viper` remark on women by Deputy Chief Minister B M Lanong,
Meghalaya Congress on Tuesday said it had nothing to do with any
comments made by members of its alliance partners in the
government.
"We are not responsible for any statement made by any
member of the government who is not from the Congress,"
Pradesh Congress president Friday Lyngdoh told a press
conference, a day after women activists took to the streets
protesting Lanong`s remark.
"We cannot dictate anything to anyone who is not a
member of the party. Had he been from the Congress, we would
have taken action," Lyngdoh said.
Lanong, a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP),
had on February 18 last, while referring to two women
activists, said "some women had the habit of biting like
vipers".
Yesterday, some women activists boycotted the official
International Women Day celebration and took to the streets to
protest against the derogatory remark, demanding an apology
from the Deputy Chief Minister.
Following the protests, Lanong said his comment was
not "general" and he had no intent to "hurt the dignity of
women".
The State Congress president said Congress has been
championing the cause of women and had never failed to fight
for their rights.
The lone Congress women MLA and Education Minister
Ampareen Lyngdoh said, the party has expressed concern over
the statement made by a member of the ruling coalition.
However, "if a member of a coalition partner makes
such a statement, it is for the party concerned to address the
issue," she said.
PTI
