Guwahati, April 30
Assam Mahila Congress leaders on Wednesday staged a protest in Guwahati against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his alleged remarks that women had to compromise their chastity to secure government jobs during the previous Congress regime.
The protest, held at Rajiv Bhawan, saw Congress women leaders burning an effigy of the Chief Minister and demanding an apology for what they termed as derogatory comments.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah had earlier condemned Sarma's statement, which was made during a campaign for the ongoing panchayat elections.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Borah wrote, "Yesterday, BJP's most foul-mouthed CM @HimantaBiswa made an outrageous comment. He said that during the 15-year-long Congress rule in Assam (2001-2015), women had to get jobs by offering their virginity."
Borah demanded a public apology from the Chief Minister, warning that legal action would follow if he failed to do so. "I can bet that in Indian politics--and maybe even in world politics--no one has ever made such a vile statement. In those 15 years, lakhs of women were employed in government jobs, from Anganwadi workers to senior civil servants."
He further questioned Sarma's moral accountability during his time as a Congress minister. "Is Himanta Biswa Sarma suggesting that a systemic program of exploitation was in place? If yes, why did he remain silent as a responsible minister in that government? If not, how dare he cast aspersions on lakhs of female government servants?"
Tagging the President, Prime Minister, Vice President, and the National Commission for Women, Borah added, "These women are daughters, mothers, and sisters. To imply that they offered their virginity for jobs is a condemnable and punishable statement."
He warned, "If the Chief Minister does not apologise to the women of Assam within 24 hours, I will ask our Mahila Congress to approach the Gauhati High Court."
Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also criticised Chief Minister Sarma, accusing him of politicising the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and "indulging in petty politics."
Gogoi's remarks came after Sarma on Monday claimed that he had evidence of the MP visiting Pakistan and Nepal.
Responding on Wednesday, Gogoi said, "It is unfortunate that at a time when the country is united and seeking a strong response to the Pakistan-backed terrorist attack on Indian citizens, BJP leaders--including in Assam--are indulging in petty politics."
- ANI