BJP’s Kalkaji candidate Ramesh Bidhuri’s remark of making Kalkaji’s roads like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s cheeks is being criticized and condemned as “sexist” and “misogynistic”. By calling it just sexist and misogynistic people are mitigating the gravity of it to just civilizational wrong or misdemeanor. On one hand it shows people’s lack of legal awareness and on the other their condoning mindset towards wrongs against women.
It’s surprising that Congress side lawyers have not yet got an FIR registered against Bidhuri. His remark is salacious and has all the ingredients of section 79 of The Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 which is corresponding of section 509 of Indian Penal Code 1860.
The section reads: Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman
Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any words, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object in any form, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and also with fine.
The offence is cognizable and bailable. His remark is a criminal offence. Condemning it just sexist and misogynistic is a bigger question mark on our social fabric than on culpability of Bidhuri. This must not be let off another case of baking political chapati without any substance. It must establish a precedent. Remember once a thing is normalized at the top, it is normalized at the bottom and that is why the bigs are asked and expected to lead by example. Do not let it go like Lalu Yadav’s remarks on Hema Malini’s cheeks and Mulayam Yadav’s “ladke hai, galti ho jati hai”.
Things from top always percolate to the bottom and it is because of this trivialization and condonation that girls are asked to “ignore” wrongs in their daily life outside home and in home in marriage. This abusiveness shall stop and it can be stopped by setting examples. When drawing analogy of Mrs. Vadra’s and Ms Malini’s cheeks with roads will be punished, then only a common girl will know that drawing analogy of her cheeks with “tamatar” or “seb” is a salacious remark comprising an offence which is punishable and not just condemnable.
Remember a Dhobi’s trivialization of Sita Mata’s “abduction and wrongful confinement” has left an inconvenient fact in Ramayana which the proponents of Sanatan Dharma find hard to defend. This incidence must not leave an impression that Mrs. Vadra wielded it as a cheap sympathy tool, not acting in substance.
The writer is Delhi-based lawyer. X @SeemaSindhu
