Women MPs, MLAs meet Maha governor to seek action against 'chauvinist' ministers

A delegation of opposition women MPs and MLAs met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday and sought action against ministers in the Eknath Shinde government who have been in the news for making derogatory comments on women opposition figures.

"We all met the governor to tell him about the insults and abuses hurled on women politicians," said Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP of Samajwadi Party, who led the delegation along with fellow upper house members Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (Uddhav group) and Fouzia Khan of NCP.

"The governor told us that he has limited powers to take action but that he has written a letter to the chief minister," she told reporters.


The delegation drew Koshyari's attention to recent incidents of state agricultural minister Abdul Sattar using abusive language against NCP MP Supriya Sule, and state cooperation minister Gulabrao Patil Minister calling Shiv Sena (Uddhav Group) spokesperson Sushma Andhare an 'actress' after she criticised Patil."We won't tolerate insults of women," Bachchan said.

"Those who are speaking against women in such a manner should be removed. An example has to be set. We need to take a political stand that such kind of talk has no place." She said the delegation would soon meet President Droupadi Murmu, too, to draw her attention to the derogatory comments being made on women parliamentarians and politicians.

Bachchan said the political standards have gone low and alleged that there have been rapes happening every day in states like Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere. Women were being harassed through words and actions and state governments need to act, she said.