BJP minister calls Congress candidate’s wife ‘mistress’, day after party's protest against Kamal Nath’s ‘item’ remark

Anuppur: Even as the row over Congress leader Kamal Nath’s comment about a woman minister is yet to die down, a BJP minister in Madhya Pradesh is facing flak for allegedly using a derogatory term for the wife of a Congress candidate. In a video that went viral on Monday, minister Bisahulal Singh, who is contesting the 3 November Assembly bypoll from Anuppur, was purportedly heard describing the second wife of Congress candidate Vishwanath Singh Kunjam as “mistress”. “Why Vishwanath Singh is hiding information about his first wife and mentioned his ‘Rakhail’ (mistress) in the nomination papers? He has not given information about his first wife, but about his mistress,” he was heard as saying. Kunjam termed Bisahulal Singh’s statement as baseless and said he will file a defamation suit against him. “I got married 15 years back and have a 14-year-old daughter. I will file a defamation suit against him. This exposes the BJP candidate’s character. On one hand they are staging drama of silent fast and on the other hand they disrespect women,” he said. The BJP minister could not be contacted for reaction. State BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said he was unable to contact Singh as he is campaigning in interior areas. BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Monday sat on a two-hour silent fast to protest against Kamal Nath’s remark wherein he referred to state minister Imarti Devi as “item” during an election rally. Bypolls for 28 Assembly seats in the state will be held on 3 November.