Jammu, December 12: BJP women activists on Saturday stormed the office of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party in protest against its J&K president and former MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia for allegedly using derogatory language against Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Textiles, holding additional charge of Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Led by BJP Mahila Morcha president Sanjita Dogra, protestors raised slogans like “Shame-shame” and “we will not tolerate insult of any women”. The protestors went inside the JKNPP office and on finding no one present there, they came out after banging the doors.
The demonstration continued for nearly an hour and the protestors left after police reached the spot and persuaded them to move of out the JKNPP office.
Manokotia had without naming anybody at a recent rally in Udhampur district’s Khoon area accused BJP of bringing “female dancers” from Delhi. “What they have done for our area,” he asked in reference to BJP, adding “why they had brought here the female dancers from Delhi”.
A part of Mankotia’s speech which went viral of social media drew strong protests from BJP mahila Morcha who took it as derogatory remarks against Smriti Irani as she had been in Udhampur to campaign for BJP candidates contesting the District Development Council elections.
Urvashi Gupta, a BJP protestor said that it is not an issue of BJP or Smriti Irani, but Mankotia has used derogatory language against the entire female community. She demanded the strict action against the JKNPP leader.
While Sanjita Dogra said that the Mahila Morcha will write to UT’s Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, BJP UT president Ravinder Raina said that they will approach election commission for action against Mankotia.
Mankotia when contacted denied having said anything derogatory against Smriti Irani. “What I had said what the BJP had brought female dancers from Delhi,” he said, attributing their protest at JKNPP office to frustration among saffron organisation over their not getting enough public support in Udhampur district.
