New Delhi:
Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has set off angry reactions for saying that a wife after a few years of marriage becomes less attractive. The Congress party, apparently after instructions from its top leadership, has asked Mr Jaiswal for an explanation.
The minister has apologised for his comment, made at a poetry meet in a women's college in Kanpur on Sunday night, but has defended his statement, telling NDTV that it was "very easy to delete words" from a recording and suggested a conspiracy.
Comparing India's Sunday win over Pakistan at the World T20 to a marriage, the 68-year-old Union Minister had said in Hindi: "
Nayi nayi jeet aur nayi nayi shaadi, iska apna alag mahatva hota hai... jaise jaise samay beetega..jeet ki yaadein purani hoti jayegi; jaise jaise samay beet ta hai, patni purani hoti chali jati hai, vo maza nahi rehta hai." Loosely translated, he said that like a new victory, a new marriage has its own importance, but as time passes, like the victory, a wife loses her charm.
As angry reactions began to pour in, with political foes adding some scathing criticism, Mr Jaiswal told reporters in Delhi that he had no problems apologising to anyone, but added that his statement must be taken in the context of the poetry reading he was attending. "When I was inaugurating a
kavi sammelan, news came that India beat Pakistan and people started bursting fire crackers. I stopped the
sammelan and said that you celebrate the victory first since the charm of celebration is when the victory is fresh. If that will get old, the charm will be lost, like when a wife gets old, the celebration of marriage does not remain that enjoyable. My remarks have been misconstrued," said Mr Jaiswal, who has been married for 45 years, according to his official Lok Sabha biodata.
And to NDTV he said, "It is very easy to delete words, it has been done deliberately. I don't want to comment on those who are adding a political colour to it. However, I will like to tell the people of this country that if I have even remotely hurt their sentiments, I apologise. I will never hurt the sentiments of women."
Asked if he thought his comparison was justified, Mr Jaiswal said that he is a member of the Congress, which "respects women, mothers, sisters".
The political colour Mr Jaiswal mentioned was gleefully added by parties like the BJP. Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Mr Jaiswal's words showed "how low the Congress can sink". The party also sought his resignation.
There have been protests by women's groups and BJP activists against Mr Jaiswal in his constituency of Kanpur as well.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari would only say, "Since Mr Jaiswal has explained and apologised, the matter should rest there."