NE Cong women wings to protest Himanta's 'derogatory' remark against women

Guwahati: On Sunday, the women’s wing of the Congress across all northeastern states announced protests against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged derogatory remark against women during the panchayat poll campaign.

They stated that protest would continue in the region until Sharma tenders an apology. Additionally, they demanded a CBI enquiry into Sarma's alleged derogatory remarks that women used the "wrong path" to get government jobs during the Congress regime in the state.

"Such disparaging remarks against women by a chief minister cannot be tolerated. He has to apologise, as he has disrespected all women in government jobs, right from the Anganwadi and ASHA workers to the topmost bureaucrat," Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur Goswami said at a press conference here, flanked by chiefs of women wings of five NE states of the opposition party.

Sarma, during a panchayat election rally recently, had mentioned a witness statement from the report of the Justice (Retd) BK Sharma commission on irregularities in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examinations for 2013 and 2014, when Congress was in power.

He said the witness' statement maintained that women had to adopt a "wrong path" to get jobs during the Congress regime.

While the Assam unit has already written to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Sarma, similar complaints will be filed before the respective state women's commission in all NE states on Monday, Goswami said.

"We hope that the NCW and the state women commissions will register our complaint and forward the matter for a CBI enquiry," she said.

She also announced the formation of a joint forum of Congress' women wings from all NE states to address women's issues beyond party lines.

Additionally, Goswami alleged that Sarma was part of three successive Congress governments since 2001 before switching to the BJP in 2015, suggesting that he was aware of any scams that may have taken place during that period.

"Our demand is that Sarma should apologise. And if he fails to do that, then there should be an enquiry by a central agency into any truth behind his accusation," she said.

Stressing that Sarma had quoted a witness statement from the report, Goswami said that the credibility of that witness had been questioned over time and he had mentioned two specific women officers.

"But the chief minister has generalised the witness statement. There are other revelations also in the report, but he is being selective in mentioning those," the Congress leader claimed.

Tripura Women Congress president Sarbani Chakravarty, criticising Sarma, said, "We will continue with our protests till he apologises. We also demand a CBI probe into the job scam." Echoing her, the chief of Mizoram Congress' women wing, Gogbinliani Diyani, added, "It should not be forgotten that Himanta Biswa Sarma was part of the Congress government during which the alleged irregularities had taken place. He cannot be exempted from investigation." Nagalang Congress' women wing president, Akumla Pogem, also hit out at the chief minister and said a person with such a "low opinion" of women should not be allowed to hold such a high position.

(inputs from PTI)