You would think an Indian politician can make it through ONE day without resorting to sexism of any kind. But apparently that isn't possible. Rajya Sabha members were discussing a bill seeking to raise the FDI cap in insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent yesterday when JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav spoke about "sanvli" (wheatish) south-Indian women to amuse the House.
Yadav was criticising the said proposal, when he digressed to "our affinity" for people with white skin. The Indian Express reports that he talked about how Leslee Udwin, director of the documentary India's Daughter, must have got permissions and interviews "easily", because of her skin colour.
The Indian Express quotes Yadav as saying, "Your god is dark like Ravi Shankar Prasad (present in the House), but your matrimonial ads insist on white-skinned brides." To which, Prasad replied, "There was also a dark man — Mahatma Gandhi who drove the 'goras' (whites) out of the country."
Yadav went on to say that women from the southern parts of the country were more beautiful and referred to their bodies, reports The Times Of India.
"The women of the south are dark but they are… their bodies…" he said and referred to their dancing skills. Thankfully, DMK MP Kanimozhi interrupted Yadav asking him to focus on the issue.