Rajasthan MLA Bahadur Singh Koli compares BJP budget to ‘son’, Congress’s budget to ‘daughter’

JAIPUR: In a letter to Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani Wednesday, women’s rights organisations demanded action against Bharatpur BJP legislator Bahadur Singh Koli for remarks in the House comparing BJP govt’s budget to “having a son” and Congress-era budgets to “having a daughter”. Koli said “son” budgets were productive, while “daughter” budgets led to Congress losing power and sitting in the Opposition.

The groups said the analogy was patriarchal, deeply disturbing, and reflected a regressive, anti-women mindset. On Feb 16, in the Assembly, Koli said, “Our chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma gave birth to a son in the first budget (after coming to power) and the budgets thereafter too. Those who give birth to sons in their youth are always useful.” “Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot made announcements in his last budget so a daughter was born, not a son, which is why you (Congress) are sitting in the Opposition,” Koli said in the Assembly.