BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli | Photo: Bahadur Singh Koli, @mpbskoli/X
A controversy erupted in the Rajasthan Assembly after BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli compared budgets presented by his party and the Congress to the birth of a male and a female child, according to The Indian Express.
Speaking during the debate on the state Budget, the legislator from Weir in Bharatpur district was reported to have characterised the BJP’s budgets as youthful and productive, while portraying those of the Congress as reflective of old age.
He went on to suggest that the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government had, in his words, “given birth to a boy” through its first few budgets, implying that these were strong and useful, and claimed that producing a male child in one’s youth was beneficial.
He also drew a contrast with the previous Congress administration, reportedly remarking that when Ashok Gehlot presented his final Budget as chief minister, it was akin to the birth of a girl child, which he used to explain why the Congress was now in the Opposition. The report noted that some BJP MLAs seated nearby were seen laughing during these remarks, Scroll.in reported
The comments drew sharp criticism from the Leader of Opposition, Tika Ram Jully, who demanded that Koli issue a public apology. Jully was quoted as saying that the remarks reflected a deeply patriarchal and anti-women attitude within the BJP, and that equating budgets with the birth of a boy or a girl exposed a narrow and regressive mindset.
He also pointed out that the Budget praised by Koli had been presented by a woman chief minister, Bhajan Lal Sharma, and noted that the Assembly had previously been presided over by a woman Speaker, including former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
Jully was reported to have said that such language was an affront to women and undermined efforts toward gender equality, warning that if elected representatives themselves used discriminatory expressions, it would weaken the fight against gender bias in society.