Sagarika Ghose: Hi there. "Biwi purani ho to maza nahin aata (when wives grow old there is no more fun), so said Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal at a public function. He's not the first politician to make such statements. An FIR has now been lodged against Jaiswal and women's groups and women MPs have protested strongly. Jaiswal has apologised. But apology or not, does Jaiswal's statement once again reveal the deep gender biases that exist among India's politicians or should it be taken with a sense of humour? To debate that, we have tonight, Mani Shankar Aiyar, MP of the Congress. Joining us Meenakshi Lekhi, advocate of the Mahila Morcha and national Vice-President of BJP. Sagari Chabbra, documentary filmmaker joining us. Madhu Kishwar, editor of Manushi joining us. Mani Shankar Aiyar let's start with you, what do you think of Sriprakash Jaiswal, your party colleague's statement that old wives are no fun? Has he made a shocking statement, for a union minister to say at a public platform, or are the women's groups being prisoners of political correctness and failing to have a sense of humour?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: Well it is a stupid statement and it is not connected with him being a politician. This is a stupid statement for him to be made as a man, as hopefully a gentleman. He was at a kavi sammelan when he said that and presumably he has proven that he is a bad poet.
Sagarika Ghose:
11:59 AM, Oct 04, 2012
New Delhi: Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal is being dragged over coals, but this time for saying old wives are no fun. Pressure from an embarrassed Congress, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Commission for Women forced him to apologise later. But Jaiswal still feels he did nothing wrong. Talking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Jaiswal said, "I never said anything like that. All I said was that...
07:44 AM, Oct 03, 2012
