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Women’s panel summons Surjewala over ‘indecent’ remark against Hema Malini
Taking suo motu cognisance of Surjewala’s video being aired by news channels and going viral on social media, the commission in its communiqué to the Congress leaders said that his indecent comment against the actress is an insult to women.
Under fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his alleged indecent remark on actress and lawmaker Hema Malini, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala was on Thursday summoned by the Haryana State Commission for Women.
Taking suo motu cognisance of his video being aired by news channels and going viral on social media, the commission in its communiqué to the Congress leaders said that his indecent comment against the actress is an insult to women.
The commission has asked him to appear before it on Tuesday, April 9 and asked party’s state president Udai Bhan to submit an action-taken report.
Chairperson of the commission Renu Bhatia said, “People like him won’t let women come forward. Even his party has not taken any action against him, but we will ensure that action is taken.”
The matter came to light after BJP IT department head Amit Malviya had shared a video on X in which Surjewala is purportedly making some objectionable remarks about the actor-politician while attacking the ruling party.
Posting Surjewala’s video on X, BJP candidate for Mandi Lok Sabha seat Kangana Ranaut wrote, “Congress leaders, who have degrading views towards women, are deteriorating their character day by day in frustration and despair of inevitable defeat.”
On Thursday, Surjewala wrote a clarification post claiming that the BJP’s IT cell has developed a habit of distorting facts and spreading lies.
Referring to the video he said, “The video posted by the BJP leader has been edited, distorted and shared to distract the country from the Modi government’s anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies and its conspiracy to destroy the Constitution.”
In a video of the same event posted by Surjewala, he could be heard saying, “We also respect Hema Malini a lot because she is married to Dharmendra ji and is our daughter-in-law.”
“Neither did I intend to insult Hema Malini ji nor hurt anyone. That is why I clearly said that we respect Hema Malini ji and she is our daughter-in-law,” the Congress leader added.
