Remarks by Uttarakhand minister's husband on 'Bihar girls' sparks row
Dehradun (PTI): Girdhari Lal Sahu, husband of Uttarakhand minister Rekha Arya, has stoked a controversy for purportedly saying girls from Bihar are available for marriage at Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000.
His statement, which is reportedly from an event held in Almora last month, has invited censure from the opposition Congress as well as the Bihar State Women Commission.
Rekha Arya is the state's women and child welfare minister. While Sahu has issued an apology after the uproar, the BJP has distanced itself from his remarks.
A purported video, which has surfaced on social media, shows Sahu allegedly saying, "Will you get married in old age? If you are unable to get married, we will bring a girl for you from Bihar… you can get one there for Rs 20,000 to 25,000."
Speaking at an event in Almora, Sahu also tells the audience, "Come with me, we'll get you married."
Sahu has released a video saying his words are being twisted and that he was only discussing the marriage of a friend. "If my words have offended or hurt anyone, I apologise with folded hands," he said.
The BJP's state unit condemned the statement and tried to distance itself from Sahu, saying he had no connection with the party.
The Congress said Sahu's remarks were an "insult" to India's women and demanded an apology from the BJP on the matter.
"This statement by minister Arya's husband is an insult to the daughters of India, whether she is from Bihar, Kerala, or Uttarakhand," Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal said.
The statement clearly reveals the BJP's stand on respecting women, he said. "This statement should be strongly condemned and the BJP should apologise for it."
The state president of Congress Mahila Morcha, Jyoti Rautela, said Sahu's remarks are shameful, especially since his wife is the women and child welfare minister.
"This is an attack on the dignity of women and girls. This kind of thinking promotes social evils like human trafficking, child marriage, and exploitation of women," she said.
BJP state media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said his party strongly condemns such "hateful thinking and statements against women".
When asked whether the BJP would seek clarification from Arya regarding her husband's remarks, Chauhan said that his party has no connection with Sahu.
The Bihar State Women Commission (BSWC) said it will serve a notice to Sahu for the remarks. BSWC chairperson Apsara told reporters, "His comments are highly condemnable. This shows his mental bankruptcy. How can he make such a statement about women when his wife is already a minister in the Uttarakhand government?"
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Hotmail founder writes to PM Modi raising concerns over racism, rise in violence against Muslims
New Delhi: Sabeer Bhatia, co-founder of Hotmail, has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing deep concern over what he described as the growing problem of racism and identity-based violence in India, including attacks on people from the North-East and minorities such as Muslims, Dalits and Christians.
The letter, addressed to the Prime Minister and shared by Bhatia on his X account, refers to the killing of 24-year-old MBA student Anjel Chakma from Tripura in Dehradun, which Bhatia said followed a racially motivated altercation. Calling the incident “a tragedy for India’s soul”, Bhatia said the young student lost his life “solely because he looked different”.
Writing as an Indian who has represented the country globally for over three decades, Bhatia said people from the North-East have long faced stereotyping and racism despite being “100% Indian in identity, history and sentiment”. He argued that Anjel Chakma’s death was not an isolated crime but a reflection of a deeper social problem that requires urgent national attention.
In the letter, Bhatia also flagged what he described as a sharp rise in violence against Dalits, Muslims and Christians in recent months. He said that hate-driven attacks on any community amount to an assault on the idea of India itself. “Whether the victim is from the North-East, a Dalit, a Muslim, a Christian, or any other community, the message must be loud and clear: communal hatred is wrong, racism is wrong, and targeting people because of their identity must stop,” he wrote.
Emphasising India’s diversity, Bhatia said the country’s strength lies in the fact that 1.4 billion people with different languages, cultures and faiths share a single national identity. He warned that if diversity becomes a trigger for violence, India risks losing its core values.
Bhatia urged the Prime Minister to take a series of steps, including making a clear national statement condemning racism and communal violence, ensuring a transparent and time-bound investigation into Anjel Chakma’s death, launching a nationwide sensitisation programme to address inter-community hatred, and strengthening legal protections against hate crimes.
“No parent in India, whether in Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala or Nagaland should fear for their child’s life because of their identity,” he wrote, adding that such fears have no place in a country aspiring to global leadership.
Concluding the letter, Bhatia said he could not remain silent as an Indian and a technologist who has spent his life building tools to connect people, while society risks drifting away from compassion and unity. He expressed hope that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the country would confront the issue with “honesty and courage” so that Anjel Chakma’s death becomes a turning point for justice and social reform.
