Women compromise for personal gains: BJP MLA Usha Thakur's controversial remark on MeToo stirs row

NEW DELHI: Yet another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member from Madhya Pradesh has made a controversial statement against women in the ongoing social media storm #MeToo on sexual harassment.

“Some women compromise on their values and ideologies for the sake of personal gains and promotions,” said Usha Thakur, BJP legislator from Indore.

“This is why women end up in troubles,” she said, adding, “Me Too is being used in a wrong way.”

This is not the first time that Thakur made such a controversial statement.

In September 2014, Thakur stirred a row after banning of Muslim youths from Navratra Garba venues, they reportedly court Hindu women and then convert them to Islam. She had further asked the organisers to ensure that girls participating in Garba festivities are "decently" dressed up.

Later that month, she advised Muslim community to either sacrifice their sons or give up the practice of sacrificing innocent animals on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, stirring up a hornet's nest.

Thakur also reportedly performed aarti of controversial godman Asaram`s photograph, currently in prison for alleged sexual harassment case.

The #MeToo movement gathered pace over the two last weeks with women speaking out on harassment at workplace. Several public figures including junior minister MJ Akbar and film personalities such as Kailash Kher, Alok Nath and Sajid Khan were caught in the firestorm.

Last week, Chief of Madhya Pradesh BJP women also cast doubts on claims being made by certain women journalists.  "I welcome the MeToo campaign but I don't consider women journalists to be so innocent that anyone can misuse them," she said.

The government, however, has maintained a stony silence on the matter. 

Akbar, on the other hand, dismissed all the allegations as false and baseless.

"Why has this storm risen a few months before a general election? Is there an agenda? You be the judge. These false, baseless and wild allegations have caused irreparable damage to my reputation and goodwill," he said.