Women’s panel seeks probe into Lalu’s remarks against Giriraj

PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad is again in controversy over his alleged sexist remarks made against Union minister Giriraj Singh in April. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked Patna SSP Vikas Vaibhav to investigate and report within 15 days if Lalu had really said “Giriraj Singh ko churi pahna do (Force Giriraj to wear bangles)”.
Soumya Garg, a computer engineer from Rungta College of Engineering and Technology, Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), has lodged a complaint with the NCW.“On April 1, 2015, Lalu told a TV channel in Patna that ‘Giriraj Singh ko churi pahna do’. Bangles are for women’s adornment, but Lalu used it in a derogatory manner. He was trying to insult Giriraj but he could have used some other word,” she complained. Reacting to Giriraj’s remarks against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Lalu had allegedly made the statement on a TV channel on April 1, 2015.
Soumya, who works as a social worker at Jashpur Nagar in Chhattisgarh, said, “At a time when we are talking about women equality, such remarks show the old mindset about women as a weaker section. When I moved the Supreme Court in March last year regarding such tikuli-churi comments frequently made in derogatory terms to show women as weak, the judges had told me to register a police complaint to get anyone punished for such remarks. I wrote a letter to the NCW citing Lalu’s remarks against Giriraj. The NCW has forwarded my complaint to the Patna SSP.”
“I have received the complaint. The NCW letter is still awaited. I shall lodge an FIR to start investigation,” SSP said.