‘Women can’t enter politics without…’: Pappu Yadav’s remarks draw notice from Bihar women’s panel

The Bihar State Women’s Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of remarks made by independent MP Pappu Yadav on women, alleging that politicians “prey” on women and that they can’t enter politics without going to a “male leader’s room”. 

The state women’s organization has issued a notice to Yadav, demanding his response within three days on why he made the words and why his Lok Sabha membership should not be terminated. The notification follows a series of remarks by Yadav about the situation of women in society and politics, while talking about the recent women’s reservation amendment bill which was lost in Lok Sabha amid dispute on the topic of delimitation.’

Pappu Yadav said, “…In India, women are called goddesses, but they will never be respected here. System and society are responsible for this.”

“Who is indulging in domestic violence? Who preys on women, from America to India, it is politicians! 90% of women cannot start in politics without going to a male leader’s room,” he said.

“A culture of exploiting women has become ingrained,” he added.

“Go to school, and your daughter faces exploitation; go to college, and exploitation in the name of ragging; go to the office, exploitation is there as well…,” Yadav said. “Leaders behave like vultures toward women.”

Reacting to the remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said:

“Shocker statement! When nation was pushing for Nari Shakti see what Cong supported MP is saying! Controversial statement by MP Pappu Yadav on women surfaces,” Poonawalla wrote on X.

“He said that 90% of women cannot do politics without going into a leader’s room. This is their mindset,” he added.

The government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to establish women’s reservation and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, was defeated in the lower house last Friday, creating a political context for the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier declared that the failure of the Constitution Amendment Bill did not mean “we have lost” and that the BJP-led government would remove all barriers to women’s reservation.

Modi also criticized opposition parties in his speech to the country for opposing the delimitation-related Constitution Amendment Bill, specifically focusing on the Congress.