Sona Mohapatra questioned the need for such remarks in an already sexist landscape.
New Delhi:
Singer Sona Mohapatra on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai over the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya last month. In a series of tweets, Ms Mohapatra defended Aishwarya Rai against what she perceived as demeaning comments and criticised the practice of politicians exploiting women for political gain.
In a recent public address during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP over the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event held at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The Congress leader said that the OBCs and Dalits, constituting 73 per cent of the country’s population, were conspicuously absent from the grand ceremony which was attended by billionaires and Bollywood celebrities.
“Did you see the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple? Was there a single OBC face? There was Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and Narendra Modi,” Rahul Gandhi had said.
The BJP responded with a collage of various Rahul Gandhi speeches where the 53-year-old can be heard mentioning the Bollywood actor.
“Television channels only show Aishwarya Rai dancing. They don’t show anything about the poor people,” Rahul Gandhi said in one of the speeches.
Congress Clown Prince @RahulGandhi now has a dangerous & creepy obsession with successful & self-made women.
Frustrated by constant rejections by Indians, Rahul Gandhi has sunk to a new low of demeaning India’s Pride Aishwarya Rai.
A fourth-generation dynast, with zero… pic.twitter.com/6TA442wWTZ
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) February 21, 2024
Expressing her disapproval, Ms Mohapatra questioned the need for such remarks in an already sexist landscape.
“What’s with politicians demeaning women in their speeches to get some brownie points in a sexist landscape? Dear Rahul Gandhi, sure someone has demeaned your own mother (Sonia Gandhi), sister (Priyanka Gandhi) similarly in the past, and irrespective you ought to know better? Also, Aishwarya Rai dances beautifully,” the singer posted on X.
What’s with politicians demeaning women in their speeches to get some brownie points in a sexist landscape?Dear #RahulGandhi ,sure someone has demeaned your own mother, sister similarly in the past & irrespective you ought to know better? Also, #AishwaryaRai dances beautifully.🙏🏾
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) February 21, 2024
The grand opening ceremony of the Ram Temple was presided over by PM Modi and attended by a host of celebrities. “I did not see a farmer there. Not one labourer was seen and not one small shopkeeper was seen. But all the billionaires were seen and there they were giving long speeches to the media,” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress leader pointed at the stark contrast between the privileged few attending grand events like the Ram Temple ceremony and the daily challenges confronting ordinary citizens.