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Delhi assembly election 2020| ‘Women are capable’: Smriti Irani on Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘discuss with men’ remark
Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani questioned Arvind Kejriwal’s intentions in making such a comment on Twitter earlier.
A tweet by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealing to women to vote in large numbers and discuss their choice with the men in the family provoked a sharp attack from Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday. The Aam Aadmi Party boss’ special appeal came against the backdrop of his party’s assessment that its campaign, which had particularly targeted women voters across all age groups, had been successful. His tweet was seen as a hint that women voters should persuade men in the family too should go along with their choice.
Union minister Smriti Irani, however, interpreted the chief minister’s special appeal to imply that women shouldn’t vote without consulting male members of their family. “Don’t you think women are capable enough to decide on their own about who to vote?” Irani responded in a tweet with the hashtag #AntiWomenKejriwal.
Kejriwal had tweeted his “special appeal” before casting his vote along with his family members at the Rajpura Transport Authority in Civil Lines area amid tight security.
“Everyone must go to vote. And a special appeal to the women of Delhi - just as you take the responsibility of your homes, in the same way, the responsibility of the country and Delhi is also on your shoulders,” Kejriwal said on Twitter in Hindi in the morning.
“All women must cast their votes and also take the men of your house. Make sure to discuss with the men who would be the right choice,” he said.
Arvind Kejriwal didn’t let the jibe from Smriti Irani go unchallenged.
“Smriti ji, women of Delhi have decided who to vote for. And this time, it’s the women across Delhi who have decided who their family will vote for. After all, they have to run their households,” he replied in Hindi.
More than 14.7 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the Delhi assembly election for the 672 candidates in the fray in the keenly watched battle for the national capital. Among them are 6.68 million women of the Capital who can cast their ballot.
Voting has been underway since 8 am for the 70-member Delhi assembly, where the ruling AAP, BJP and Congress are in a three-cornered fight.
Results will be declared after the counting of votes on February 11.
