'Got five daughters instead of a son': Congress leader stirs sexism row while attacking Modi govt

Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh's Rau constituency, Jitu Patwari, said, "People have been hoping for a son but what they got instead was five daughters. All of these daughters were born but a son, Vikas, hasn't been born yet."

After the comment stirred a row, Patwari apologised on Twitter.

"...If my earlier tweet had hurt anyone then I apologise," he tweeted.

Patwari, who made the alleged sexist remark, was trying to refer to Modi's 2014 slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" which the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate used to oust the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Hitting back at the Congress leader, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to take note of the comment in a tweet.

Patra tweeted, "Respected Chairman @NCWIndia Ms @sharmarekha Ji, Namaskar Please take note of this highly misogynistic tweet of an elected representative which projects daughters as unwanted & in most regressive manner. This should not go unpunished!"

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma replied, "Sad that these people with this kind of mind set are calling themselves leaders. What are they teaching to their followers I wonder. Will ask for an explanation from him for sure."

In 2016, Modi made a surprise but bold move to ban all Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currencies with an aim to eliminate black money from the country of 1.3 billion people.

In the following year, the BJP government brought the biggest tax reform by implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST).

(Image Credit: Jitu Patwari Facebook)