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Journalism of Courage
Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal found himself at the centre of a controversy on Tuesday over his sexist remark that wives lose charm over time,sparking an outrage among womens groups which dubbed the comment as disgusting and derogatory.
Facking flak for his remarks at a kavi sammelan in Kanpur on Sunday night,Jaiswal offered an apology,saying he had no intention of hurting the sentiments of women.
Jaiswal also came under attack from opposition BJP which raised questions on his continuance in the Union Cabinet. Protesters,including women,burnt effigies of Jaiswal and blackened posters with his face on it in his hometown in Kanpur.
Jaiswal,who was addressing the sammelan when news of Indias win over Pakistan in the ICC World Twenty20 match in Sri Lanka came in,said like an old victory,wives lose charm as time goes by.
New victory and new wedding,both of them have their own importance. As time will pass,the victory will become old. As time passes,wife also becomes old,that charm does not sustain, Jaiswal had said.
Jaiswal claimed on Tuesday his comments were misconstrued and that he apologised for the same if they hurt the sentiments of women.
When I was inaugurating a Kavi sammelan news came that India beat Pakistan and people started bursting crackers. I stopped the sammelan and said that you celebrate the victory first since the charm of celebration is for new victory only, he said.
If it will get old,the charm will get lost like the way a wife gets old then celebration of marriage does not remain that enjoyable. Similarly,if the victory will become old you will not enjoy celebration in the morning. My remarks have been misonstrued, he said.
The comment is really derogatory, said Mamata Sharma,chairperson of the National Commission for WomenNCW while BJPs womens wing chief Smriti Irani called the remarks preposterous and disgusting.
Congress distanced itself from the remarks of Jaiswal.
Since he has already clarified/explained/apologised,the matter should rest there, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari told reporters in Delhi.
BJPs Nirmala Sitharaman said. We can judge the standard of Congress on the basis of these utterances,how low can they go.
