A controversy broke out in the Rajasthan Assembly after BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli compared the BJP government's budgets to the birth of a "son" and the previous Congress budget to a "daughter," triggering objections from Congress MLAs.
A Rajasthan BJP MLA, Bahadur Singh Koli, sparked a controversy during the assembly debate on the state budget after drawing a gendered comparison between present BJP government's budget and that of the previous Congress regime.
On February 16, Koli described the BJP's budget as a "youth budget" and the Congress's as an "old-age budget". He went on to say that the BJP government had "given birth to a boy" in its first budget and continued to do so in subsequent budgets, adding that "one who gives birth to a boy in their youth is always useful".
"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," Koli said.
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He further targeted the previous Congress government, saying, “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.”
Congress hits back at Rajasthan BJP MLA's sexist remarks
The remarks drew strong protests from Congress members on Tuesday. Leader of the opposition Tika Ram Jully criticised the statement, calling it discriminatory and inappropriate.
"On February 16, your MLA, while speaking on the budget, made remarks that discriminate between a son and a daughter. Your MLAs were laughing. I feel ashamed that even today such thinking persists," Jully said. Referring to his own family, he added that he has two daughters and questioned how such views could be held "in this day and age".
Women’s rights organisations have also written to Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, demanding strict action against Bahadur Singh Koli, the BJP legislator from Bharatpur, over his controversial and gendered remarks inside the House.
They slammed the analogy as “deeply disturbing” and “patriarchal,” arguing that such statements reinforce regressive stereotypes that devalue daughters and glorify sons. In their letter, they asserted that the remarks reflect an anti-women mindset unworthy of an elected representative and demanded accountability.
