Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has condemned the derogatory remarks on Mayawati made by a BJP lawmaker Sadhana Singh and called the leader of the BSP as a 'strong lady' from the Dalit community.
Speaking to ANI, the Union minister and Republican Party chief said, "Mayawati is a strong lady from the Dalit community and is also a good administrator. Any derogatory comments against her are condemnable."
"Though my party support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the alliance but any such statements are condemnable," Athwale said in response to a reporter's question.
Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Chanduali on Saturday, Sadhana, a BJP MLA from Mughalsarai, said: "I don't think Uttar Pradesh's former Chief Minister is a woman or a man. She doesn't understand the concept of dignity. Draupadi was a victim of sexual misconduct. She vowed to get revenge. That was a self-respecting woman. Look at this woman. Everything was looted from her, despite which she sold all her dignity to get power."
"I take this opportunity to condemn Mayawati, who calls herself a woman. She is a shame on the entire womankind. BJP leaders saved her dignity, and she sold it for the sake of her comfort and power. Women from the entire country condemn her," Sadhana added.
Former MP and vice-president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Jayant Chaudhary tweeted, "Such statements from the Mughalsarai MLA represents the small thinking of senior BJP leaders. It depicts by the perspective of society by the party.