Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today (August 25) slammed Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for his demand for inclusion of Dalits, Backward Classes and those from OBC classes in beauty pageants like Miss India and said such a proposal can come from a person with ‘Bal Budhi’.
Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday (August 24), proposed introducing reservations in Miss India pageants and slammed the government for its disregard for the backward and oppressed classes.
“I went through the Miss India list and there was no Dalit, Adivasi (tribal) or OBC (other backward classes) woman. Some will talk about cricket or Bollywood. Even top media anchors are not from the 90 per cent,” Rahul told the audience in Prayagraj.
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, shared Rahul’s viral video, where he advocates for making the platform accessible to women from Dalit and OBC communities and criticised his “hypocrisy” in setting the record straight.
“He now wants reservations in Miss India pageants, films and sports. It’s not just about Bal Budhi, but the people who are cheering him on are also equally responsible,” Rijiju wrote on X while sharing a snippet of Rahul’s video.
“Childish humour may be good for entertainment, but do not mock backward communities in your divisive tactics,” he said, advising the LoP to refrain from such behaviour.
The Union Minister further added, “Rahul Gandhi ji, governments do not select Miss India, governments do not select athletes for Olympics and governments do not select actors for films.”
BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari on Rahul Gandhi’s statement
Another BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also took to X to refute Rahul’s claims about Miss India. He shared a video from the Miss India pageant and informed that not long ago, a Dalit girl was crowned Miss India. He dismissed Rahul’s claims as divisive.
“Not long ago, just two years ago, a tribal girl from Chhattisgarh, Miss Riya Ekka, won the title of Miss India. Rahul Gandhi’s plan is divisive and full of falsehoods,” the BJP spokesperson said on X.
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