Sawant sorry for imported maal comment on Shaina NC, Raut defends it as fact
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Saturday issued an apology for his comments on Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s candidate Shaina N.C. He was under fire after he called the Shiv Sena candidate, who was earlier BJP’s spokesperson, “imported maal”. Mr. Sawant said he has always respected women and his comment was distorted to deliberately target him.
“I was hurt by the accusations against me. I have always respected women. But my comments were distorted and I was targeted deliberately. Still if my comments hurt anybody's sentiments, I regret it and apologise for the same. In my 55 years of public life, I have never insulted women,” the Lok Sabha member of Shiv Sena (UBT) said.
Shaina N.C. is contesting the Assembly election from the Mumbadevi seat as the Shiv Sena candidate. She was a member of the BJP for more than a decade. However, because of the seat adjustment in the ‘Mahayuti’ alliance, she joined the Eknath Shinde-led party last month.
She is contesting against Congress’s Amin Patel, who is the sitting MLA from the Mumbadevi constituency. Congress and Shiv Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ alliance. While campaigning for Mr. Patel three days ago, Mr. Sawant had said, “She (Shaina) stayed all her life in the BJP and now look at her. When she did not get (ticket) there, she went to another party. Imported ‘maal’ (goods) are not accepted here. Only original goods are accepted here.”
The Shiv Sena candidate took offence to the use of the word ‘maal’ and termed it as an insult to all women. Other women leaders from the Mahayuti, including deputy chairman of the state legislative council Neelam Gorhe, condemned Mr. Sawant’s comments. Ms Shaina also lodged a police complaint against the Lok Sabha MP.
“The apology was made after a case was registered. Using the word ‘maal’ is objectification and it means that I am someone’s property, which I am not,” the BJP candidate.
While, Mr. Sawant apologised for his comment, his party colleague and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut defended him. “There is no insult in referring to Shaina NC as ‘imported maal’ since she is not a local. If she is from outside, then it is a mere fact. When outsiders contest elections, people often point out their origins. Creating a controversy here is unnecessary,” Mr. Raut said.
Hitting back at Mr. Raut, Ms Shaina said, “Mr Raut, if you don’t have any objection to words like ‘maal’, it shows your mentality. It is surprising that Mr Sawant apologised after 30 hours but Mr Raut is saying nothing wrong was said. So, what is the official stand of the MVA? What is the stand of Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on this?”
The Shiv Sena candidate also denied the charge that she was an outsider in Mumbadevi, which is part of Mr. Sawant’s Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency. “My family has been working in South Mumbai for three generations. I have also shown proof that I campaigned for Mr. Sawant in 2014 and 2019. I was his beloved sister then.Now I have become ‘imported maal’,” she said.
