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'Road as smooth as Katrina Kaif's cheeks,' says Rajasthan minister; people clap and laugh
Reports said the minister first referred to actor and BJP MP Hema Malini. Then he reportedly commented that Hema Malini has become old now.
New Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha visited his constituency for the first time after becoming a Cabinet minister in the latest expansion of Ashok Gehlot Cabinet. Confronted by the public over the issue of bad roads, the new minister promised roads as smooth as the cheeks of Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif. People listening to the minister clap and burst into laughter. Reports said the minister was addressing officers and first referred to Hema Malini, BJP MP. Then he reportedly commented that Hema Malini has become old now and then chose Katrina Kaif's cheeks instead to be the standard for roads.
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While such a sexist and controversial comment coming from a politician is nothing new, there have been exactly similar instances of politicians aspiring for roads as smooth as Hema Malini's cheeks. Years ago, Lalu Prasad Yadav had made a similar comment involving Hema Malini, which was emulated by a UP minister of Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet, Rajaram Pandey. Of later, in 2019, Congress leader PC Sharma invited criticism when he had said the Congress government will make Madhya Pradesh roads as smooth as Hema Malini's cheeks. Going a step further, Sharma said the condition of the roads at that time was like the cheeks of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.
According to reports, Hema Malini too, in past, reacted to her cheeks being brought into political discourse so often. “It so happened that I was travelling from Patna to Nalanda for a show. The roads were so bad that I got delayed in reaching the venue. When I expressed my displeasure about the road conditions Laluji promised to make the roads as smooth as my cheeks. Why my cheeks? If politicians continue to bring in my cheeks as references to roads, my cheeks may soon begin to resemble those bumpy roads that are never smooth in spite of the promises," Hema Malini had commented earlier summarising what made Lalu comment on her cheeks.
