Ayushi Shukla, the state leader for the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, has launched a sexist attack on Journalist Chitra Tripathi and Union Minister Smriti Irani in keeping with her party’s record of making crude and insulting statements about women. She is also a coordinator of UP Mahila Congress.
It is notable that she has declared “Rahul Gandhi is my superhero” and identified herself as “Nehruvian by thought” on her X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
Following in the footsteps of her idol, who recently courted controversy for his flying kiss in the Parliament, she targeted multiple journalists and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders with abusive and derogatory comments. She wrote, “Modi’s Laila (lover),” with a picture of Aaj Tak anchor Chirta Tripathi. However, she deleted the tweet afterwards.
The Congress leader posted a picture of Amethi MP and Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Minority Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani with the caption, “What relationship does she have with Modi,” making a veiled insinuation and added, “I will immediately follow whoever gives me the right answer.”
मोदी की ये क्या लगती हैं???
— Ayushi Shukla (@ayushimirzapur) September 12, 2023
जो सही बताएगा तुरंत फॉलो करूंगी।। pic.twitter.com/zisob9X87B
Ayushi Shukla posted a picture of another Journalist Anjana Om Kashyap and posted, “She is not a journalist, she is Modi’s broker.”
ये पत्रकार नही, मोदी की दलाल हैं। pic.twitter.com/ND0OqsQdmt
— Ayushi Shukla (@ayushimirzapur) September 13, 2023
“How many dogs are there in this picture,” she asked in another photo which featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with journalists, Rubika Liyaquat, Marya Shakil, Smita Prakash and Sushant Sinha.
इस तस्वीर में कितने कुत्ते हैं??? pic.twitter.com/94EVUyapuE
— Ayushi Shukla (@ayushimirzapur) September 12, 2023
UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi called out Ayushi Shukla’s objectionable conduct and stated, “Shop of love! This woman is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and coordinator of UP Mahila Congress. Mr Rahul Gandhi is her superhero. This is the basic character of Congress.” He also asked UP Police as well as tagged prominent Congress handles including that of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi to take cognizance of the matter.
मोहब्बत की दुकान !@ayushimirzapur ये मोहतरमा उत्तरप्रदेश कांग्रेस कमेटी की सदस्य हैं, यूपी महिला कांग्रेस की कोऑर्डिनेटर है।
— राकेश त्रिपाठी Rakesh Tripathi (@rakeshbjpup) September 13, 2023
राहुल गांधी जी इनके सुपर हीरो हैं।
यही कांग्रेस का मूल चरित्र है…..@Uppolice भी संज्ञान ले…
आप भी चाहें तो संज्ञान लें@INCIndia @INCUttarPradesh… pic.twitter.com/5iwUw8HKld
The Congresswoman defended herself with a bizarre excuse. “But Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Mr Rakesh, I just asked what Mrs Smriti is of Mr Modi. I did not use any improper words, so why are you thinking it is wrong,” she responded.
पर उत्तर प्रदेश बीजेपी के प्रवक्ता राकेश जी मैने तो बस पूछा स्मृति जी क्या लगती है मोदी जी की, किसी गलत शब्द का प्रयोग तो किया नही, फिर आप गलत ही क्यों समझ रहे?? https://t.co/c54fFkhPJj
— Ayushi Shukla (@ayushimirzapur) September 13, 2023
Sexist behaviour of Congress leaders
Notably, Congress has a history of acting in an offensive and sexist manner. The Gandhi scion was accused of blowing a flying kiss as he left the Lok Sabha on 9 August after he concluded his speech during the debate over the no-confidence motion by Union Minister Smriti Irani.
Neetu Singh, Congress MLA from the Hisua constituency in the Nawada district of Bihar engaged in a disturbing and disparaging tirade in her attempt to defend her leader and slander the Minister. She alleged, “Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, has no dearth of young females. Why would he blow a flying kiss to a 50-year-old woman and not a young girl,” she asked and further claimed, “All these allegations against Rahul Gandhi are baseless.”
Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Ajay Rai charged that the Amethi MP only came to her constituency Amethi to show “latkas” and “jhatkas” (an unflattering reference to dance moves) in December of last year. He claimed, “Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half of the factories in the Jagdishpur industrial area are lying shut. Smriti Irani only comes, shows ‘latka-jhatka’, and leaves.”
A video of six-time Congress MLA KP Singh ‘Kakkaju’ from the Pichhore seat of Shivpuri district in Madhya Pradesh recently went viral on social media in which he passed an extremely controversial statement about women. He voiced, “I have observed many individuals who marry in their old age. At first, they feel pleased that a wife has come into the house, but then she feels that her husband is good for nothing.”
He added that other men start coming to their homes and the elderly husband thinks, “Because I am old and have no control over myself, I am neither able to stop my wife nor say anything.”
Congress leaders, both male and female have indulged in highly objectionable remarks against women, especially after their dismal performance in elections. They vent their frustration on the female leaders of the Bharatiya Janta Party as well as other women and expose their misogynistic mindset.
