Ravneet Bittu slams Punjab Cong chief for 'sexist' remarks; Amrita Warring defends husband

Chandigarh, Nov 7 (PTI) Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Thursday slammed Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring for allegedly cracking a "sexist" joke on his wife Amrita Warring, who in turn hit back at the BJP leader for "failing to comprehend" what her husband wanted to convey.

Campaigning for his wife Amrita, who is contesting the November 20 Assembly bypoll in Gidderbaha on a Congress ticket, Ludhiana MP Warring said, "'Gharwali tadke surkhi bindi la ke nikal jandi hai. 6 vaje jandi hai te raat nu 11 vaje aandi hai... mere tan kammo gayee. Hun tusi daso, 6 vaje janani jaave te 11 vaje aave, tan mere kaadhi kam di reh gayee' (The wife goes out early in the morning sporting lipstick and bindi. She goes out at 6 am and returns at 11 pm. Now you tell me, if a wife goes out at 6 am and returns at 11 pm, what's her use for me?) "'Mainu tan koi langri bhal deo jehra merian rotiyan paka chadya kare. Is ton baad vyah, bhog, jagrate chal penge, main tan udikya karunga kithey hai' (Find me a cook who will make meals for me. After this there will be marriages and other ceremonies that she will attend and I will only keep waiting (for her)," he added, leaving the crowd in splits.

Reacting to the Congress leader's remarks, Ravneet Bittu said his comments not only disrespect his own wife, but also "expose" a mindset that stereotypes women's contribution to the society.

"What does he (Raja Warring) want to tell our daughters and sisters? He is saying his wife is of no use to him... that she goes out in the morning wearing 'surkhi-bindi' and returns at night. But these days there is no difference between men and women. They (women) work day and night.

"You as the state Congress chief gave ticket to your wife. And today you are saying she is of no use? Why are you making fun of her? Do not do drama for votes. You should seek an apology because what you have said is shameful and condemnable," Bittu said.

Hitting back at the BJP leader, Amrita accused him of trying to distort her husband's remarks.

"Bittu brother, we share with people what we have in our hearts. And people also understand this. Cracking jokes is a major part of our speeches," she said in a video statement.

"What Raja ji wanted to convey was that Amrita is among the people from 6 am till 11 pm. And he wanted to convey this to the people through jokes. People understood this but it is surprising that you couldn't understand the small thing that Raja ji wanted to convey. You distorted his statement," she said.

In a written statement, Amrita also called Bittu's remarks "shameful and politically motivated", claiming that her husband's comments were made in a lighthearted manner and they were not intended to offend anyone.

"As a woman and a public servant, I stand proud of my dedication to serving my constituency. I was not hurt by my husband's remarks. His words reflect our bond with the people of Gidderbaha, which Ravneet Bittu has irresponsibly misinterpreted to suit his own agenda. This display of narrow-minded thinking and disrespect for family values shows the extent of dirty politics he (Bittu) is willing to play," she said. PTI CHS VSD ARI