Women’s panel issues notice to Uttarakhand Minister’s husband for calling Bihari girls ‘Rs 20,000 marriage option’

New Delhi: Controversy erupted after a viral video allegedly showed Girdhari Lalu Sahu, husband of Uttarakhand Women and Child Welfare Minister Rekha Arya, making derogatory remarks about women from Bihar, prompting the Bihar State Women Commission to take suo motu cognisance and issue a notice to him.

In the video that has been widely circulated on social media, the BJP minister’s husband Sahu is seen addressing a group of young people and allegedly saying, “Will you get married in your 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.”

The comment sparked immediate outrage, with many condemning it as defamatory and demeaning to women, highlighting issues of gender exploitation and social evils such as human trafficking and child marriage.

Political leaders in both Bihar and Uttarakhand responded sharply. Jyoti Rautela, state president of the Congress Mahila Morcha, called the remarks “shameful” and said, “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.”

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also criticised the statement on X, calling it indicative of the BJP’s “toxic mindset” towards women, and sarcastically referencing previous allegations of BJP leaders allegedly buying votes for Rs 10,000.

Sahu has a controversial past. He has been linked to a double murder case and was accused in 2015 by a former domestic help, Naresh Chandra Gangwar, of deceitfully facilitating the removal of his kidney in Sri Lanka for a transplant to Sahu’s second wife.

Following the backlash, Sahu released a clarification video, claiming his remarks were misrepresented and taken out of context, and were made in reference to a friend’s marriage. He stated, “If my words have offended or hurt anyone, I apologise with folded hands.”

The Uttarakhand BJP unit also condemned the statements and clarified that Sahu is not officially connected to the party.

Meanwhile, the Bihar State Women Commission has sought a detailed explanation from Sahu, emphasising that such remarks are defamatory, hurtful, and socially unacceptable.

The incident has reignited debates on public accountability, the dignity of women, and the responsibilities of public figures and their families.

IANS