The frustration of Congress at Rahul Gandhi trying to put up a brave face amid all losing battles would have been amusing if it were not so problematic. Congress leader Srinivas BV while speaking at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in defamation case tried to take a dig on Union Minister Smriti Irani.
Srinivas, while trying to attack the BJP on inflation, mocked Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi at the family bastion of Amethi in 2019 and said how prior to 2014, she would talk about things being expensive. However, now, the ‘mehengai daayan (reference to the song from the film Peepli Live) ko darling bana ke bedroom mein bitha diya hai‘ (you have made the inflation your darling and kept her in your bedroom).
For all the women empowerment and feminism pontification by Rahul Gandhi and his, this casual sexism is quite jarring. But not surprising. Especially because it is thrown at Smriti Irani.
You see, Smriti Irani is the one who gave Rahul Gandhi a run for his money. During the run up to 2019 general elections, Congress realised that there is a possibility Rahul Gandhi may not win the family bastion of Amethi, a seat he himself had won for three straight terms. Which is why he contested from two seats – Amethi and Wayanad. Irani had contested Amethi in 2014 and lost but over next five years she built up her support base and in a true David vs Goliath style dethroned the Prince who is made to believe he is the rightful heir to the Prime Ministership of India. After all, his father, grandmother and great grandfather, have all held the seat.
Bitter over the loss, Congress leaders have time and again subjected Smriti to sexual slurs. In 2015, Congress leader Nilamani Sen Deka the former Assam state Agriculture minister said at a public meeting in Nalbari that many people refer to Smriti Irani as the second wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2019, Congress leader had shared an image of Irani with Hukumdev Narayan saying that Smriti is bowing in obeisance in front of a “Rape Guru” while Rahul Gandhi is asked to apologise for his rape remarks. Indrani Mishra had insinuated that Smriti is paying respect to rape accused Swami Chinmayanand, while it was actually veteran MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav.
Another Congress leader Shashank Bhargava, during a rally in 2020, made another such comment filled with sexual innuendos against Irani. “The hike in fuel prices must be rolled back. In the past, Smriti Irani would roam around with a lot of bangles in her hand. She is close to the Prime Minister and can give her bangles and a lot many other things. I will request her to gift the Prime Minister her bangles and whatever else he wants and ask him to roll back the price hike,” he had said.
Recently in December 2022, Gandhi family loyalist Ajay Rai said that the Amethi MP comes to her constituency only to show ‘latke and jhatke’. During a press interaction, Congress leader Rai said, “Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half of the factories in Jagdishpur Industrial Area are lying shut. Smriti Irani comes, shows ‘latka-jhatka’, and leaves.”
How to show a woman her ‘place’? Make sexually coloured remarks and insinuate that she has reached the position of power by ‘compromising’ on her ethics and not because of hard work. After all, she has dared to defeat their beloved leader Rahul Gandhi.
They say politics is a dirty place. After all, it is a man’s world there. Naturally, it is harder for a woman to not only carve a place for herself but defeat really powerful politicians, like fourth generation politicians, whose father, grandmother and great grandfather have been the Prime Ministers of India. The one for whom seat of Prime Minister was a given privilege, and would’ve been unchallenged had fate not taken a turn a few years back.
In 2014 general elections, Smriti Irani took on Rahul Gandhi, the then 2 time MP from Amethi, a constituency that has sent many members of his family to the Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi won the elections but Irani gave him a tough fight. Rahul Gandhi got 4,08,651 votes with 46.71% vote share while Irani clocked in 3,00,748 votes with 34.38% vote share. The previous term, in 2009, Rahul Gandhi had got 4,64,195 votes with 71.78% vote share. So, while Irani may have lost, she gave a tough fight to the crown prince.
For next five years, Irani worked hard and when she again took on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi that year, she had increased not only the vote count but also vote share. Irani got 4,68,514 votes with 49.71% vote share against Rahul Gandhi’s 4,13,394 votes with 43.84%. Rahul Gandhi’s vote share had gone down. Smriti Irani had won. But more importantly, she had won after defeating Rahul Gandhi. Something Congressis are still salty about.
And hence, they resort to such vile sexual abuse. The abuses we see are just the ones which make it to social media or mainstream media or where politicians are stupid enough to say it aloud on public platforms. I am pretty sure Smriti Irani, like many of us women out there, faces death and rape threats. If someone like me, who is hardly a speck in Indian political universe, is regularly faced with abuses, quite certain for Irani it is far more.
After all, she had challenged the one who was conditioned he will never be.