Bidhuri is not new to making controversial statements. As a Lok Sabha member, he hurled abuses at Kunwar Danish Ali, MP from Amroha, by calling him a terrorist and a pimp on the floor of the house
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Kalkaji constituency in New Delhi Ramesh Bidhuri has sparked outrage with his remarks perceived as vulgar and misogynistic.
During campaigning for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Bidhuri said that he would make the roads of the constituency as smooth as “Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks” if he wins his seat. He also reportedly added: “Lalu Yadav once famously claimed that he would make the roads of Bihar as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks, but he failed to deliver on that promise. I assure you, however, that just as we have transformed the roads in Okhla and Sangam Vihar, we will ensure that every road in Kalkaji is made as smooth as Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks.”
Bidhuri is not new to making controversial statements. As a Lok Sabha member, he hurled abuses at Kunwar Danish Ali, MP from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, in September 2023. During a discussion in the Lower House, Bidhuri hit out at Danish Ali repeatedly hurling expletives at him and making Islamophobic remarks.
Bidhuri called Danish Ali a “Muslim ugarwadi” (Muslim terrorist), “Bharwa” (pimp), and “katwa” (circumcised) on the floor of the house.
The latest Bidhuri statement has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, women’s rights groups, and social media users alike. Congress leaders accused the BJP of harbouring an “anti-woman mindset”.
“This is not just a disrespectful comment towards an individual woman politician, but it also reveals the vulgarity of thought in public life that the BJP seems to endorse,” said Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate.
“Shameful” and reflective of a “disgusting mentality” towards women. “BJP is extremely anti-women. Ramesh Bidhuri’s statement regarding Priyanka Gandhi is not only shameful but also shows his disgusting mentality. What else can be expected from a man who abused his fellow MP in Parliament without facing any punishment?” she wrote on X.
“Will the women leaders of BJP, Women Development Minister, Nadda ji or the Prime Minister himself say anything about this bad language and thinking? The father of this anti-women language and thinking is Modi himself – who uses words like mangalsutra and mujra – so what else will his people say? An apology must be made for this poor thinking,” she added.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera echoed similar sentiments, asserting that Bidhuri’s words reflect the values of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP.
“This rudeness doesn’t just show the mentality of this vile man, it shows the reality of his owners. From top to bottom, you will see the values of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in these petty leaders of BJP,” Pawan Khera said.
The Aam Aadmi Party also condemned Bidhuri’s comments. AAP MP Sanjay Singh called the remarks “cheap and shameless,” questioning the BJP’s respect for women.
“It is very shameful. BJP has given a ticket to a person who used abusive language in the Parliament and also to the person who was openly distributing money to the people,” Singh said.
“Making such cheap and shameless comments on a senior Congress leader is very unfortunate. The women of Delhi must have understood the kind of security they will be getting under their rule,” media reports cited him as saying.
Bidhuri’s remarks have reignited debates on whether public representatives should be held to higher standards of accountability for their words and behaviour.
Political analysts suggest that Bidhuri’s statement might have been an attempt to mock Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s growing influence in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere. However, critics argue that such personal and sexist remarks only serve to undermine democratic discourse.
Bidhuri’s comment is being seen as yet another example of the erosion of political decorum in the country and underscores the urgent need for political parties to implement stricter guidelines on conduct and language among their representatives.
