Right-wing activist Bhide refuses to talk to female journalist as she wasn't wearing 'bindi'
Mumbai, Nov 2: Right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide on Wednesday courted controversy after he refused to speak to a female television news reporter as she had not put a 'bindi' on her forehead.
The incident, caught on camera, took place after he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Mantralaya (state secretariat) in south Mumbai, and promoted the state women's commission to issue him a notice.
In a video, Bhide was heard telling the female reporter, who sought sound byte from him about his meeting with Shinde, that she should apply a 'bindi' (a decorative dot worn in the middle of the forehead by women) before coming to take his byte, and declined to speak to her.
He also told the journalist that a woman is akin to Bharat Mata and that she should not appear like a "widow" by not sporting a 'bindi.
Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar issued a notice to the right-wing leader seeking an explanation for his remarks.
In 2018, Bhide had come under fire for his comments that couples were blessed with sons after eating mangoes from his orchard.
#NoBindiNoBusiness movement started by @ShefVaidya is getting bigger. Popular activist from Maharashtra, Sambhaji Bhide asks woman journalist to wear a Bindi before she asks her question... pic.twitter.com/wtJwCged5M
— Priti Gandhi - प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) November 2, 2022
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Karnataka legislative session to focus on leadership row, farmers’ issues, flood relief
Belagavi (PTI): The 10-day winter session of the Karnataka Legislature, starting December 8 here, is expected to focus on the Congress leadership tussle, farmers’ grievances, and flood relief.
The unified opposition of the BJP and JD(S) has drawn up a strategy to corner the ruling Congress on multiple issues.
BJP leaders have announced plans to move a no-confidence motion following the leadership row between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah has asserted that he will complete the full five-year term, while Shivakumar has claimed he was promised the chief ministership midway through the Congress government’s tenure.
The power tussle intensified after the government completed two-and-a-half years on November 20.
Following a war of words on social media, the two leaders later presented a united front through ‘breakfast diplomacy’. However, the fight is far from over, as the party's high command held a meeting in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the issue in detail.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters in Delhi on Saturday that the party had discussed Karnataka and that further meetings are expected. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said on Thursday that the government has not received any notice of a no-confidence motion from the opposition.
Farmers’ protests have given the opposition additional ammunition to target the government.
About a month ago, sugarcane growers staged an unprecedented strike, blocking roads to demand Rs 3,500 per tonne against the state government’s offer of Rs 3,200 per tonne.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought the Centre’s intervention, citing flaws in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), which remains frozen at Rs 31 per kilogram, leaving mills unable to pay farmers.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revise the sugar MSP, ensure mills can pay farmers, provide assured ethanol offtake for Karnataka distilleries, and issue a central notification for handling and transportation costs to enable transparent, farmer-friendly pricing.
To calm the agitating farmers, the state government offered an additional Rs 100 per tonne, shared equally by the state and mills, raising the net cane price to Rs 3,200-3,300 per tonne.
After the sugarcane strike, maize growers have also protested, demanding procurement at Rs 3,000 per quintal.
The current MSP is Rs 2,400 per quintal, and farmers are seeking a Rs 600 bonus. Ahead of the session, the state government announced increasing maize procurement from 20 quintals per farmer to 50 quintals at Rs 2,400 per quintal.
The session will also see the tabling of 21 bills, including measures to check hate speech and hatred crimes, a law against misinformation, the Daily Wage Employees Welfare (Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill.
Other key bills include the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-Categorisation in Reservation) Bill, the Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) (Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Apartment Ownership (Regulation) Bill.
Law and order issues may also come up during the session in light of recent incidents of robbery and dacoity across the state.
