Overview
- During the Rajasthan budget debate, BJP MLA Bahadur Singh Koli likened his party’s budgets to the birth of a boy and the previous Congress budget to a girl, framing the BJP’s as “youthful.”
- A video of the remarks circulated widely on social media as several BJP legislators were seen laughing, and the Speaker did not object on the floor while some Congress members protested.
- Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully called the comments discriminatory and sought a public apology, arguing such gendered analogies have no place in a budget discussion.
- Koli defended his words to reporters as Brijbhasha and questioned the criticism, maintaining he was praising what he views as a good budget.
- Civil society and women’s organizations submitted a memorandum to Speaker Vasudev Devnani seeking the remarks be expunged and referred for disciplinary action, with no apology or formal censure reported so far.