'Shazia Ilmi More Beautiful Than Kiran Bedi': Markandey Katju's Tweet Slammed

Former Press Council chairman Markandey Katju is being pummeled on social media for sexism after tweeting that the BJP should have made Shazia Ilmi its Chief Ministerial candidate as she is "more beautiful."

Justice Katju tweeted:
 

I regard Shazia Ilmi much more beautiful than Kiran Bedi. If Shazia had been made their C.M. candidate BJP wud have definitely won the Delhi

- Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 30, 2015

elections. People vote for beautiful faces, as in Croatia. Even a person like me who does not vote wud have voted for Shazia.

- Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 30, 2015

The former Supreme Court judge has provoked outrage before with statements like talk of gay marriages is "humbug and nonsense" and 90 per cent Indians are fools.

As angry responses poured in, Justice Katju backtracked, tweeting:
 

Some people objected to my last tweet. My response is : develop a sense of humour. The tweet was in lighter vein,& shud be construed as such

- Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 30, 2015

He had offered the same clarification when, earlier this month, he blogged that Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif should be President of India. Even then, not many on social media saw the joke.

Today, his own comments were hurled back at him. "Mr. Katju has been trying very hard to prove that he is like rest of the 90% fellow Indians (sic)," said one tweet.