‘She is only fit to cook’: Karnataka Cong leader’s sexist remark against BJP candidate sparks a row

Senior Congress leader and Karnataka’s Davangere South MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa stirred a controversy after he made a sexist comment against his rival and BJP candidate Gayatri Siddeshwara. The 92-year-old MLA said Gayatri is only ‘fit to cook’ as she knows nothing about politics.

While addressing the party workers, Shivashankarappa said, “Before asking for votes, she should know the problems of this constituency well. She does not know anything about being in public life and she is only fit to cook in the kitchen. She cannot even speak well in public.” The senior leader was slammed by various sections of people and demanded Shivashankarappa apologize for his vile comments against the BJP leader.

Responding to the senior Congress leader’s comments, Gayatri said, “Ajja (grandfather) should know that women are making a difference in every industry. This is 2024, and are we still restricted to kitchens? The comments are unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar condemned Shivashankarappa’s comments and said the party would not encourage such sexist comments.

He said, “I strongly condemn any statement that remotely reeks of sexism and misogyny coming from anyone. Congress Party’s women-centric guarantees in Karnataka- Gruhalakshmi, Shakti, Gruhajyothi and Anna Bhagya, alongside the Akka Cafe scheme, which was announced in the recent budget session, are a testament to our ideology that we honour women as the empowered embodiment of progress & prosperity. Both my party and I strongly believe and support women as equal partners in the progress of the country, and no regressive statement can ever change that.”

Badminton player Saina Nehwal condemned the statement and said, “When I won medals for Bharat on the play field, what would the congress party have preferred I should have done? Why say that when all the girls and women dream of achieving big in any field they like ….On one hand we are doing Nari Shakti ko Vandan. The Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed under the leadership of our PM Modi sir and on the other hand Nari Shakti ka apman & misogynistic people.. Really upsetting.”