Sharad Yadav refuses to apologise for 'appalling' remarks, draws BJP, Congress ire

New Delhi: Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav's comments about south Indian women in Parliament on Thursday, has drawn all round condemnation from the opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, who termed it as 'appalling', 'racist' and 'misogynistic'. 

"The kind of comment that we heard from Sharad Yadav, who is among the senior most parliamentarians, is absolutely appalling. It reeks of racism and is a misogynistic comment. He paints South Indian women in a particular way which is absolutely unacceptable," said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

However, Sharad Yadav refused to apologise for his comment. "Why should I apologise? I will make them understand what I meant. Do you think I said anything wrong?" Yadav said.

"There was no opposition and I didn't say any such thing. In the entire country, wherever men or women are giving training in dance, their figure improves. In the south, there is a huge tradition of dance, art and music, that is why their figure is good," he added.

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

Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza also condemned Yadav's statement saying elected representatives should talk about women with dignity and honour.

"I condemn this statement of Sharad Yadav ji as far as women are concerned and would request all the elected representatives in the country to speak about women with dignity and honour and not pass any loose comments about them," said Oza.

As per reports, during the debate on the Insurance Bill in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Yadav stated that, "The women of south are beautiful, their bodies...their skin ...They aren't made like this here. They know dance".

The senior Janata Dal (United) leader also described the proposal to raise foreign investment cap to 49 percent as a reflection of an obsession with fair skin.

"Here people are awed by fair skin. In our matrimonials too we look for gori, gori (fair skin)," he said.

He also reportedly commented on the maker of the controversial 'India's Daughters' documentary, Leslee Udwin, saying she gained easy access to shoot her film because of her skin colour.