Political Tensions Within BJP: Controversial Remarks By Ramesh Bidhuri Puts The Strategy For Upcoming Delhi Assembly Polls In Question
The Delhi chief minister Atishi and the congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been the targets of the remarks Ramesh Bidhuri made, and Ramesh being a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has landed himself into major political disputes. This debacle has created heated internal debates in regards to the BJP, which has given rise to the idea of whether an alternate female candidate should take his place for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
Based on the insider’s account, there have been two meetings that were believed to have been aimed at shifting Ramesh’s loyalty and Nirmal Kaur’s election, due to him being under a lot of backlash lately. This further depicts the need for political leaders to remain tactful and put together when it comes to making any statements, especially when the election times come.
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s Derogatory Comments regarding Priyanka Gandhi and Atishi sparks an outrage prior to the Delhi Assembly Elections
Bidhuri, a senior BJP member from South Delhi and two-time Member of Parliament and three-time Member of Legislative Assembly, was casting his opinion during an event discussing the condition of roads in Kalkaji, which he is aiming to get rewarded a ticket for on 5th February 2025 for the assembly elections.
This was aimed towards office bearers of Kamal Morcha, while also commenting on high profile female political leaders, Priyanka Gandhi and Atishi. Those comments were circulated widely resulting in a rage, and hours later BJP President JP Nadda was able to reach Bidhuri and appropriated him for his comments and put the s of the party out there for expansion.
BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri embroiled in controversy for his derogatory comments pertaining to Atishi Singh’s change of surname
As for Bidhuri, he has not shied away in hurling abuses at prominent politicians, in fact, he has no respect whatsoever for women. A prime example of this would be the comments he made about Politician Atishi Singh.
As you may recall, back in 2018 she was under the spotlight due to her controversial decision to drop her father’s surname of ‘Marlena’ and replace it with ‘Singh’ . When it was brought to Bidhuri’s attention he told Singh, “Marlena has become Singh because she reversed her father.”
These comments are without a doubt aimed with the intention of ridiculing Atishi for willing sheikh their ancestor based surname. Singh, whose father was a well-respected academic and a former Delhi University professor, has said she did this to draw closer to the people of India, especially those from the poor class.
Ramesh Bidhuri contextually made comments that can be termed as derogatory. These comments caused a lot of distress to Atishi, a member of AAP which is an Indian based political party, whose political values are based on anti-corruption.
She was infuriated as well as felt sick to her stomach, she went on to state, “Politics is quite low, believe me” Atishi’s reaction stemmed from what a plethora of women around her had been feeling. According to them, the comments were not only rude and crude, but also evidence of a misogynistic culture that exists in the political world.
BJP Mulls Ramesh Bidhuri’s Dismissal Following Significant Fallout Over Controversial Comments Reflecting A Misogynistic Attitude
The BJP has consistently defended Bidhuri after he made these comments, however this time, there was a faction within the party that expressed the desire to independence BJP opposers. While discussing this, the possibility of replacing Bidhuri heavily came into focus. A few insiders from the party stated that this was a plan devised by the leadership to replace him with someone who would appease the angry voters while also trying to promote women presence in politics.
These discussions are still being held, however no decisions have been made or proposals suggested. But one thing is clear, there is an acute need for damage control after speaking with the BJP about the allegations.
The BJP has recently attracted attention from various quarters for its attitude on issues related to women. Critics flag how party leaders, and in particular, people like Bidhuri, many times resort to personal and sexist insults against female politicians, an approach which dents the party’s acceptance with the female constituency. Such statements are especially damaging in an election where women’s voices are important.
Also, it has to be pointed out that this is not the first time Ramesh Bidhuri has been in the limelight for the controversies. Just less than two years ago, he insulted towards Danish Ali MP of Bahujan Samaj Party, during the discussion in the new parliament building.
There were protests in India about his comments and the anger was mainly directed towards his comments about a MP, Danish Ali. Outcry followed over his derogatory treatment of Ali during a discussion in September 2023 on the Chandrayaan-3 and his ‘suffering’ with a TV debate about being another member of the Union Government, one position of many he was not considered for since it was reported he might run for and has been not given a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
This only enhanced his image as an abusive and reckless leader who always opposed international human rights conventions.
Ramesh Bidhuri of BJP Sparks Controversy Once More Resulting to the Party’s Stance Towards Gender Equality And Women Leadership Being Put Under Question
Bidhuri’s outburst has once again questioned the internal discipline of the BJP and its control over its leaders who are controversial by nature. The critics assert that even though the party claims to promote women in leadership roles, some party members such as Bidhuri frequently contradict such claims.
The BJP has proclaimed itself as a defender of women’s rights, but unless the organizational structure does not change regarding the gender biased and sexist behavior of certain leaders, this mandate would be fundamentally hollowed out.
Atishi, on the other hand, has been receiving support from different political sections. Political activists and leaders all over joined in deriding the remarks made by Bidhuri, with the most affected, the women leaders, coming to speech Atishi and called for a more respectful attitude towards political rhetoric.
The case has also brought to the fore the increasing need for women involvement in Indian politics. As we see in the Indian context of women’s high underrepresentation in both the state legislature and national parliament, more women in the political space and soberer debates’ in Indian politics are an urgent necessity.
Delhi Elections: Gender sensitivity in Politics – Will it Matter? The remarkable speech made by Ramesh Bidhuri is at the center of controversy, BJP Government is challenged to act
In view of the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP has no option but to contend with the fallout that ensued out of this controversy while also dealing with the political context.
On the other hand, Elections are always bound to be highly contentious and opinionated so if the party wishes to put a woman in Ramesh Bidhuri’s place in such an instance, the party is likely to be trying too hard to tweak its appeal towards the female demographic which as stated remains to be seen whether it as a proper damage control tool. But diminishing the impact of Bidhuri’s comments is quite distant from reality.
Political controversies aren’t new for Indian politics as their personal attacks tend to be rather politically motivated scandals free of ethics, the Ramesh Bidhuri issue is a prime example of such an instance. When election time comes both major political parties and their leaders begin hustling through making statements that invoke controversy at a high dose so understanding how sensitive issues at a politic level such as gender and identity can be quite important so public perception has to be catered properly.
For the time being the actions of BJP regarding this matter are going to be particularly interesting to see as an indicator of progress within the Indian political landscape especially the gender based issues.
