"Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon...": Shehzad Poonawalla attacks Congress over post on Kangana Ranaut

New Delhi [India], March 26 : Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla attacked Congress leader Supriya Shrinate over her purported "objectionable post" against his party's Lok Sabha candidate Kangana Ranaut stating the party whose general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had coined the "Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon" (I am a girl, I can fight) is now insulting women.
Piryanka had given the 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti hoon' slogan in the in the run-up to the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
"Yesterday, Congress national spokesperson and IT cell head Supriya Shrinate insulted the 'Nari Shakti' through an indecent post. This is not just Kangana Ranaut's or women's insult but this is an insult to the whole of Himachal Pradesh. This party's slogan is 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti hoon'... It has become Congress' character to insult women," Poonawalla told ANI on Tuesday.
The BJP national spokesperson said that his party has urged the Election Commission to take action against Supriya Shrinate.
"No matter how many excuses she makes, the fact is that the post was not removed until we raised an objection towards it. There should be strict action against it... We also request the Election Commission to take action against this," he added.
The purported post from Congress' social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate on Monday, which featured a picture of Ranaut dressed in a corset top with an objectionable caption, has since been deleted.
Earlier today, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said he was "surprised that Congress has such thinking towards women and artists".
"I am surprised that Congress has such thinking towards women and artists. There is a difference between real and reel life. In reel life, an artist has to play multiple roles...BJP respects the artists and women of India..." Tiwari said on Tuesday.
Ranaut, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, also hit out at the Congress leader, saying every woman deserves dignity.
"Dear Supriya ji In the last 20 years of my career as an artist I have played all kinds of women. From a naive girl in Queen to a seductive spy in Dhaakad, from a goddess in Manikarnika to a demon in Chandramukhi, from a prostitute in Rajjo to a revolutionary leader in Thalaivii," Ranaut said in a post on X.
"We must free our daughters from the shackles of prejudice; we must rise above the curiosity about their body parts; and above all, we must refrain from using sex workers challenging lives or circumstances as some kind of abuse or slur. Every woman deserves her dignity," she added.
As the controversy raged, Shrinate clarified that she could never make such personal and indecent comments about any woman.
"Many people have access to my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Someone from them made an extremely inappropriate post today. As soon as I came to know, I deleted that post. Everyone who knows me also knows very well that I can never make personal and indecent comments towards any woman. I wanted to know how this happened," she said. Further, the Congress leader mentioned that some parody account on X has made this objectionable post.
"I came to know that my name is being misused on Twitter and a parody account is being operated, named Supriya parody. They made this objectionable post. Someone copied it from there and posted it on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I am trying to know who has done this from those who have access. I have also reported this parody," Shrinate added.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) also stepped in, saying it will write to the Election Commission over the issue.
"You are a fighter and a shining star @KanganaTeam. People who are insecure acts low. Keep shining and all the best. @TajinderBagga writing to @ECISVEEP," NCW chief Rekha Sharma said in a post on X.