Sexist netas are no strangers to Indian politics. Across party lines, those whom we elect to sit in the ‘temple of democracy’, time and again, make statements that can put a born and bred chauvinist to shame. Now, BJP MP Giriraj Singh joins the disgraceful bandwagon. No stranger to rants, he was in the news a while back for his communal comments but undeterred by the furore he caused then, he is now caught making an utterly low level racist and sexist comment wherein he says that, “If Rajiv Gandhi would have married a Nigerian lady, and she wasn't a white-skinned girl, would the Congress party have accepted her leadership?” Mind you, he is not a so called ‘fringe element’; he is a Minister of State in the Modi Govt. The feeble and laughable apology which he issues later in which he says that it was an ‘off the record’ conversation not meant for public hearing, just worsens it further. For a government that has come to power with such a huge mandate, which surely included a sizeable number of women voting for them, this seems like a slap on the face of the electorate. This is not to say that other parties who are screaming hoarse today against his comments are above reproach. Politicians like Sharad Yadav from the JDU, Abhijit Mukherjee from the Congress, Mulayam Singh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, and countless others (the list is too long for all names to get a mention), across the political spectrum, have displayed their inherent bias against women at some time or the other. Be it at a rally pandering to a particular constituency or just going off on a tangent in the Parliament, no forum is spared. It is the same predictable cycle, their comments make to front-page headlines and top of news bulletins, spokespersons valiantly defend them by pointing to the bad apples in the other parties, while they issue a prepared apology or a needless clarification and, in a while, all is forgotten & forgiven. Some absurdly claim that they were initiating a discussion on the bias faced by dark skinned women while some say they were speaking ‘off the record’.In recent times, India has been attracting a lot of negative attention for the way women are treated and perceived in our country. Such statements from the political class will further strengthen this perception and it is high time the top brass of the Govt., instead of mere condemnation and reprimand, seriously penalise such elements, notwithstanding their clout in their respective constituencies. Only then will a strong signal be sent to closet and open misogynists who will think twice before shooting their mouths off.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this articles are the personal opinions of the author. The News Minute is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information in this article. The information, facts or opinions appearing in this article do not reflect the views of The News Minute and The News Minute does not assume any liability on the same.