Sack Karnataka MLA before raising ‘Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ in UP: Smriti Irani slams Congress over ‘rape’ remark

Terming Karnataka Congress MLA K R Ramesh Kumar's remark on rape "shameful", Smriti Irani asked Congress to suspend him before raising the slogan "Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon" in Uttar Pradesh.

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New Delhi: A day after Karnataka Congress MLA K R Ramesh Kumar made highly controversial remarks on rape, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Friday (December 17) slammed him daring the grand old party to sack the legislator from the party. 

Terming the comment "shameful", Irani asked Congress to suspend Kumar before raising the slogan "Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon" in Uttar Pradesh. 

"It is shameful that the Legislative Assembly which takes a pledge to protect the honour of women was used by a Congress leader to give a shameful statement against women," the Union minister told ANI. 

She added, "This narrow thinking of a Congress leader raised this question on the leadership of Congress which says in Uttar Pradesh that `I am a girl and I can fight`. If you have the courage then you should first sack this leader from your party".

To woo female voters in 2022 UP polls, Congress earlier released a manifesto for women and has been raising the slogan "Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon". 

In the Lok Sabha amid Opposition protests during the Question Hour today, Irani said Karnataka Congress leader's remarks on rape should be condemned and demanded that Congress should first bring the person to justice.

Congress is under fire after MLA K R Ramesh Kumar on Thursday said in the Karnataka Assembly that "when rape is inevitable lie down and enjoy". 

Receiving flak for his reprehensible statement, Kumar said on Friday, “If it hurts the sentiments of women, I've no problem apologising. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.” 

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivkumar wrote a series of tweets and issued apology over Kumar’s statement. “As the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, I am deeply saddened that such words were uttered by a Congress MLA. To all the women of Karnataka, I am sorry and I will ensure words like these are never repeated.” he tweeted. 

(With agency inputs)