As per the response received by the ECI, a complaint has been raised by the commission with the concerned officers regarding the impugned speech highlighted in CJP’s complaint. It has further been provided that the commission has also personally forwarded the email to the corned officer for a quick response. A further detailed reply from concerned officers/department is now awaited.

It is essential to note that through the said complaint, it had been highlighted that the speech made by Vijayvargiya amounts to the offence of “corrupt practices” and stands in violation of Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. CJP had demanded that strict action be taken against Vijayvargiya for his serious violations and that he should be directed to issue an unconditional public apology as well as a retraction for his utterances. CJP had further urged that the Commission issues a notice to the state and national party in chief of the BJP as this conduct of one of its own elected representatives puts a responsibility on any party that participates in elections held under the mandate of the Indian Constitution to honour and follow its mandate as laid down in both the Preamble and Fundamental Rights (Chapter III). 

The full complaint can be read here:

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In the complaint, CJP has provided the details of the speech made by Vijayvargiya outside Ward 5 of Indore-1. The video shows Vijayvargiya stating the following:

“Give all your blessings to the Bharatiya Janata Party so that Congress does not get a single vote from this ward. I have made an announcement that at whichever booth not even one vote is given to Congress, a reward of Rs 51,000 to the chairman of the polling booth. All of you should make the effort to ensure that no vote goes to Congress from this booth as Congress has not done any work here.”

The complaint highlights that the speech made by Vijayvargiya amounts to the offence of “corrupt practices” and stands in violation of Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The complaint states “Through the carefully calculated words uttered by Vijayvargiya, there is a clear intention to entice and manipulate the votes of the general public by offering monetary gains to the chairman of the booth.”

CJP is dedicated to finding and bringing to light instances of Hate Speech, so that the bigots propagating these venomous ideas can be unmasked and brought to justice. To learn more about our campaign against hate speech, please become a member. To support our initiatives, please donate now!

The complaint also provides antecedents and previous incidents of anti-minority and anti-women speeches made by Vijayvargiya. The same was done with the objective of emphasizing that Vijayvargiya is a repeat offender who spreads consistently indulges in making statements adverse to the values of a secular, socialist and democratic country.

In addition to demanding action against Vijayvargiya for his serious violations, CJP also demanded that the Hon’ble Commission also issues a notice to the state and national party in chief of the BJP as this conduct of one of its own elected representatives puts a responsibility on any party that participates in elections held under the mandate of the Indian Constitution to honour and follow its mandate as laid down in both the Preamble and Fundamental Rights (Chapter III). It was also prayed that the Commission directs Vijayvargiya to issue an unconditional public apology as well as a retraction for his utterances.

It is essential to note here that on the same day as this complaint was sent by CJP,  the Supreme Court had hear a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) against pre-poll promises and freebies distributed by political parties to lure voters before elections. The PIL had termed the same to be “frittering away taxpayers’ money” and amounting to bribery and undue influence. The said plea had a sought for issuance of comprehensive guidelines from the SC to bar political parties from indulging in the same. Admitting the said PIL, the Supreme Court had also issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments. The afore-mentioned has also been highlighted in the complaint to the Election Commission.

The complete complaint can be read here:

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In a patriarchal society, men typically establish a system of social standards and exert authority over women in various aspects of society. One of the embedded patriarchal standards is the supposed dress code that women should follow, one which depicts the country as progressive, but not too westernised. Clothes represent culture, a culture whose alleged protector is the state. Women, and other genders, have always received contradictory messages about their bodies, with specific rules being laid down on how women should dress and have a distinct gender identity. It is sometimes glorified by ideal images of goddesses; sometimes it is expected to hold the honor of the /family/community/nation; and then the same body is projected as shameful, embarrassing, fearful, and disgusting. This is how religion, the state, and the self-appointed protectors of the state limit women’s autonomy. On one hand, The veil of a Muslim woman is seen as emphasising the differences and divisions between “Western” and “Muslim” values, and it is often a contentious symbol that represents a sign of backwardness in the Western so-called “liberal” and “progressive” countries, and on the other hand, these same individuals do not appreciate when women show too much skin, or become too “westernised.” These standards of how women should dress are pushed down women’s throats by a slew of laws, many of which are drafted by men who serve as the guardians of patriarchal societies. Anyone who dares to defy these laws and assert their autonomy is punished, with penalties ranging from rape to murder, to serve as a lesson to others.

India is another country where society has established standards for women’s clothing. Despite the fact that many battles have been waged and valiantly fought against gender inequality and the rigidly imposed structures of gender binaries, anti-women statements made by prominent leaders every other week are all we need to see how our society thrives on gendered notions. One of the most visible manifestations of this is gendered clothing.

On April 5, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya made anti-women remarks, where he said that “Badly dressed” girls resemble “Surpanakha”, a fictional character, a demon, from the Epic Ramayan, Vijayvargiya was speaking at a religious function in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on the occasion of Hanuman and Mahavir Jayanti, and his video of the remark has gone viral.

“Women wear such bad and vulgar clothes… we think of women as goddesses… but we can’t see any of that in these women. They look like Surpanakha. Wear nice clothes because God has given you a beautiful body. Teach your children about our culture,” Vijayvargiya said.

Continuing with his derogatory statement, Vijayvargiya then said, “When I leave for home at night, I see educated young people and children under the influence of drugs….I feel like getting down (from the car) and slapping them five to seven times to sober them up. When I go out at night and see young woman under the influence of drugs, I feel like giving them five-seven slaps to sober them up. I swear to God.”

The senior BJP leader’s remarks drew a strong reaction from the opposition, and social media users, who condemned Vijayvargiya’s remarks. While the issue of control over women’s autonomy goes deeper than politics, leaders of the opposition attacked the BJP government for the aforementioned words said by one of his leaders.

Congress leader Shama Mohammed chastised Union minister Smriti Irani for remaining silent on the remarks. “What happened to Smriti Irani? Does she agree with this heinous remark? Or does she only use her voice to attack Rahul Gandhi?” she wondered as she shared the video.

“BJP leaders continue to humiliate women,” said Congress spokesperson Sangeeta Sharma, who said that these comments reflects their thinking and attitude. She further said that “In independent India, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya ji is justified in referring to women as Shurpankha and making disparaging remarks about their attire. BJP, please apologise!”

The video can be viewed here:

BJP Leader @KailashOnline says girls dress badly & look like ‘Shurpanakha’. This is a reprehensible & demeaning insult to every woman of this country

Where is @smritiirani now? Does she condone this disgusting statement? Or does she only find her voice to attack @RahulGandhi! pic.twitter.com/hzoxrnZpl1

— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) April 8, 2023

In another news, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Prachi on Thursday asked Muslim girls to marry Hindu boys, claiming that they would be able to lead a happy life, free from wearing black clothes or from talaq (divorce) and halala. Ms. Prachi, who reached the circuit house in Bareilly, began her anti-women and islamophobic diatribe by calling Muslim women “Bechari (Helpless)” for having to wear black burkhas in 50 degree temperature.

Ignoring the autonomy of women, right to dress and right of expression, Sadhvi Prachi then sexualises Muslim women and calling on them to marry Hindu men. She said that the same act would benefit Muslim women as then they will not have to wear burkhas, commit halala, or marry in their relation. Ms. Prachi, who had once announced a reward of ₹50 lakh to anyone willing to behead Zakir Naik, an Islamic public orator, also asked Muslim women who faced triple talaq to join Hinduism.

“If women marry in Islam, they will definitely undergo a divorce. This will be followed by the ‘horrible halala’, so kick the culture which ruins lives and adopt Hinduism,” she said.

The video can be viewed here:

Location: Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

Far-right leader Sadhvi Prachi made an Islamophobic hate speech, sexualizing Muslim women and calling on them to marry Hindu men. pic.twitter.com/KSjZq3Chit

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) April 8, 2023

In one report, a prominent BJP leader criticises women for wearing “vulgar” clothing and compares them to demons, whereas another far-right leader, a woman herself, makes derogatory statements against women who must wear a veil, projecting them as victims. The BJP’s interpretation of Hindu nationalism is based on appeasing the religious majority at the expense of the minority, which includes women. The BJP and its extremist group have been feeding on culture; they derive their support from traditional patriarchal families and appeal to them by mirroring and incorporating their beliefs into the party’s ideology. They form a common public opinion of what is right and wrong and determine the country’s course. The sexualisation and policing of women’s clothing is not new in India, but it is becoming increasingly important that we protect an individual woman’s autonomy and challenge the objectification of women as holders of honour for the state, nation, and community.

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Kolkata: Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said on Sunday that if the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is not removed from power soon, West Bengal would “become like Jammu and Kashmir” in the face of threats from terrorist organisations like ISIS.
 
“If Mamata ji stays, Islamic State (ISIS) can enter West Bengal anytime. It will become like Jammu and Kashmir. It is because of her appeasement politics that people related to terror activities have made their base in the border-states and ISIS threat is a proof of that,” Vijayvargiya said while speaking to reporters. He was hinting at rising communal tensions under Mamata’s government.
 

 
Soon after claiming responsibility for the deadly serial blasts on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka killing more than 250 people, an ISIS telegram channel released a poster in Bengali last Thursday which says “Coming soon” hinting at possible attacks in Bangladesh or West Bengal. Intelligence agencies have been on high alert, anticipating a terror attack.
 
The BJP has been accusing Mamata Banerjee of being sympathetic to Muslims coming from across the border such as Bangladesh and Myanmar. Earlier, BJP President Amit Shah said that Mamata was protecting Bangladesh infiltrators. He also said that the WB chief minister was opposing NRC in Assam due to ‘vote-bank politics’.
 
Addressing a rally, Amit Shah said that Mamata Banerjee protested against Bangladeshi infiltrators in 2015, but she did that because they were Left’s vote bank. “Now these Bangladeshis are TMC’s vote bank and therefore she is against the NRC,” he added.
 
The BJP president asked that Mamata and Congress leaders should specify whether they wanted to protect the country or not. “I want to ask you (people), aren’t Bangladeshi infiltrators a threat to India? Shouldn’t we drag them out? We are members of the BJP. For us, the country comes first, and not vote bank politics,” he said.
 
Polling for the 42 seats of West Bengal has already begun. In the first three phases, 10 seats went for voting but it was largely marred by violence and EVMs glitches. In the fourth phase, 8 seats will go to polls. In 2014, the TMC had won 38 seats, while BJP got two seats.
 

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लेकिन बीजेपी के नेता कैलाश विजयवर्गीय ने शाहरुख खान पर ट्वीट करके भरसक विवदों को पैदा करने की कोशिश की हैं उन्होंने ट्वीट करके लिखा है हमारे भारत के काबिल किसी भी परदेस के रईस से, हर हाल में बेहतर हैं।

इस्से पहले कैलाश विजयवर्गीय ने ट्वीट कर कहा था जो रईस देश का नहीं, वो किसी काम का नहीं. और एक काबिल देशभक्त का साथ तो हम सभी को देना ही चाहिए।

ऋतिक की ‘काबिल’ और शाहरुख की ‘रईस’ दोनों ही फिल्में 25 जनवरी को रिलीज होंगी। ऋतिक ने कहा कि फिल्म का कारोबार एक तरफ होना चाहिए और दोस्ती दूसरी तरफ। रईस और काबिल बॉक्स ऑफिस पर टकरा सकती हैं, लेकिन इससे दोस्ती पर कोई असर नहीं पड़ेगा। हमें ऐसी समझ होनी चाहिए।

‘जोधा अकबर’ के अभिनेता ने कहा कि फिल्म रिलीज की तारीख साफ हो जाने के बाद उन्होंने एक-दूसरे से बात की थी। ये पूछे जाने पर कि तारीख के टकराव से क्या बचा भी जा सकता था, उन्होंने कहा कि उन्हें इससे अच्छी कोई तारीख नहीं मिली और ये गलत नहीं है।

Courtesy: Janta Ka Reporter

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