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Shourie's analogy riles women's organisations

Several women's organisations have taken offence to the ''sexist language'' used by Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajya Sabha member Arun Shourie, in a newspaper article and demanded that he or his party issue a public apology for hurting the sentiments of women.

The article, 'Fabrications on the way to the funeral' on the Indian Council of Historical Research in a newspaper on July 3 had said that ''if an RSS publication publishes even an interview with me, that is further proof of my being communal. But so tough are the hymen of these progressives that even when they contribute signed articles to publications of the Communist Party, their virginity remains intact.''

The representatives of All India Democratic Women's Association, The National Federation of Indian Women, the Joint Women's Programme, the All India Muslim Women's Association, Jagori, Ankur and some other groups said in a statement in New Delhi today that not only was the analogy used by Shourie, crude but it was totally inappropriate as the issues he discusses are as far removed from women's bodies as is such writing from civilised standards.

''Coarse sexist allusions in the media such as these can sometimes be ignored, as the reflections of a perverted mind. But Arun Shourie is no ordinary journalist. He is now a member of Parliament representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is accountable for his words and his action, as is his party. Is this the respect accorded to women in their culture? Is this the type of sexist and insulting language that Shourie will use in Parliament? The least he can do is issue a public apology and if that is expecting too much from him, we hope his party will do so as his words have hurt the sentiments of women,'' they added.

UNI

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