Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday had warned his ministerial colleague over passing a controversial statement on "upper-caste women".
Madhya Pradesh minister Bisahulal Sahu who is also a Tribal leader kicked up a row while he was talking about women and their chores in the context of societal strata during an address in the state's Anuppur district on Wednesday.
Sahu who is a Tribal, on Thursday said, “The women from lower strata of society in the villages work in the fields and also do household chores. But the big people like Thakur and Thakar keep their women confined to homes and do not let them go out. They should pull them out from their houses because both men and women should work equally.”
"Pull out the women of big people - Thakur from their homes. Will this not make them march ahead?" he had asked.
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His comments on upper-caste women were not well received by Rajput and other upper caste organisations and they protested against the comments made on Thursday.
Soon, CM Chouhan had to intervene and warned Sahu for making such comments and Bisahulal Sahu on Sunday had to apologise.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Chouhan in a statement said that he had called sahu and he has publicly given his apology. “Whatever the sentiment, the message should not go wrong. Every word should be spoken carefully. I have warned all the ministers and MLAs (members of legislative assembly) that such statements should not be given under any circumstances.”
Things that send a wrong message to the people will not be forgiven whosoever the person may be, he added, saying "respect of mother, sister, and daughter is paramount for the BJP, its government and me".
State BJP president VD Sharma also apologised for Sahu’s remarks and called it unfortunate. “This should not have happened. If his (Bisahulal Sahu) statement hurts the sentiments of any section of the society, as state party president, I apologise on behalf of the party," Mr Sharma told the media.
Sahu also apologised in a video saying he has always respected women. “My statement hurt their sentiments so I want to apologise. My intention was not to hurt anyone,” he said.
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On Saturday, Rajput groups Karni Sena and Kshatriya Mahasabha protested across the state with members showing black flags to Sahu at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party office. Furious Karni Sena members had also burnt an effigy of the minister and encircled his car.
In 2018, Chouhan had faced a similar backlash when he said that nobody can ever be brave to take reservation away during rallies against quotas in the promotion and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act.