Sharad Yadav comments on skin, body of south Indian women in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Even as Sharad Yadav went on a spree of sexist comments on south Indian women in the Rajya Sabha, some members hardly took cognizance, and went into splits of laughter instead.

During a debate on the Insurance Bill, the JD(U) President went on to discuss ‘saanvli’ (dark) colour of the South Indian women. He said, “The women of the south are dark but they are… their bodies…,” and went on to speak about their “dancing skills”.

Moreover, Yadav justified his statements saying there was no harm in some non-serious discussion when DMK MP Kanimozhi objected to his remark and asked him to focus on the topic of discussion.

He further said, “Your god is dark like Ravi Shankar Prasad (present in the House), but your matrimonial ads insist on white-skinned brides.”

Prasad was prompt in his reply, saying, “There was also a dark man — Mahatma Gandhi who drove the whites (goras) out of the country.”

The Insurance bill seeks to raise the FDI cap in insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent. Digressing from the topic of discussion, Yadav started speaking about the “affinity” for people with white skin. He spoke about how Leslee Udwin, director of the documentary India's Daughter, must have got permissions and interviews "easily", because of her skin colour.