Bengaluru, Mar 30: Star shuttler Saina Nehwal on Saturday lashed out at Shamanur Shivashankarappa, veteran Congress leader from the state, for making "sexist jibe" at Gayatri Siddeshwara, a BJP candidate from the Davangere constituency.

Shivashankarappa, a 92-year-old sitting MLA from Davangere South, had said that Gayatri, wife of former Union Minister and incumbent MP Siddeshwara GM, "belonged to the kitchen".

Taking exception to his remark, Nehwal posted on her X account: "Women should be restricted to the kitchen this is what a top Karnataka leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa ji has said. The sexist jibe at @bjp4india candidate from Davanagere, Gayatri Siddeshwara ji is least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon."

The 34-year-old Nehwal, who had won the bronze medal during the 2012 London Olympics, said such misogynistic remarks were upsetting when women in the country are aspiring to leave their mark in every field.

"When I won medals for Bharat on the play field what would Congress party have preferred, I should have done? Why say like that when all the girls and women dream of achieving big in any field.

"On one hand we are doing Nari Shakti ko Vandan. The Women's Reservation Bill has been passed under leadership of our PM Modi sir and on the other hand Nari Shakti ka apman & misogynistic people really upsetting," wrote Nehwal.

Shivashankarappa made the controversial remark while addressing Congress party workers at Bunts Bhavan in the district recently.

"She (Gayathri) does not even know how to speak properly. She is fit to cook food at home," said Shivashankarappa, who once owned a franchise, Davanagere Diamonds, in the erstwhile Karnataka Premier League (KPL).

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Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said there was a demand for four per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders, but no decision has been taken yet on it.

Prominent Muslim leaders, including Karnataka Minister for Municipal Administration and Hajj, Rahim Khan, Congress MLAs and MLCs wrote to the chief minister on August 24 demanding to consider giving four per cent reservation to socially and economically backward Muslims in government contracts. The chief minister wrote on the petition on August 31 that the file should be put up, sources said.

"There was a demand for four per cent reservation, but we have not taken any decision yet," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

When asked about the BJP raking up this issue, he said, "The BJP wants to communalise everything. Their job is to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims. Did they ever wish peace in society?"

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra termed the purported move unhealthy.

"In a bid to woo the Muslim community, the @INCKarnataka government is going to give reservation in contracts as well, which will damage the health of a harmonious society," he said in a post on ‘X’.

He said it had become inevitable to protest against such stances of the Congress government.

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged in his post on social media 'X' saying what seemed like "shameless appeasement politics" to be a "cover for Congress corruption machine".