The All India Mahila Congress slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his comments against Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and asserted that it revealed his and BJP's "disrespectful attitude towards women".
"I strongly and unequivocally condemn Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhiji. His remarks against the Congress president are deplorable and unparliamentary, it is a clear reflection of his and the BJP's disrespectful attitude towards women," the letter written by AIMC president, Sushmita Dev read.
Khattar had on Sunday poked fun at Sonia Gandhi's return as the interim president of the Congress party.
Addressing an election rally, Chief Minister Khattar recalled: "After losing the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi resigned as the Congress president and started saying that the party should get new president from outside Gandhi family," Khattar said.
"We thought this was good, to move away from nepotism (parivarvad)... But they spent three months moving around the country in search of a new party president. After three months who became the president? Sonia Gandhi. Khoda Pahar Nikli Chuiya, Vo Bhi Mari Hui. This is their condition," added Khattar.
The AIMC president said that such loose comments were aimed at diverting the attention from the issues such as unemployment and economic slowdown which are prevailing in the country and asserted that crimes including rape are on the rise and it is due to this reason that Khattar is seeking to divert the matter.
"Lowering the discourse is an attempt to divert attention from the real issues that are being evaded like joblessness and acute economic slowdown. Can anyone deny that Haryana has become the rape capital of India. Kidnapping and abduction are also on the rise. The Chief Minister of Haryana has no answers to the real issues that are adversely impacting the people of Haryana specially the women," the letter read.
"ML Khattar of the 'Beti Bachao' gang have failed as Haryana has the fourth highest crime rate in the country, there is a shocking shortfall in police manpower. At 27 per cent, the shortfall is highest among the northern states, and almost 4 times as high as the deficit in Punjab," it added.
( With inputs from ANI )