BJP lawmakers clash over controversial remarks in Madhya Pradesh

Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers in Madhya Pradesh engaged in a public disagreement during a state-level event in Guna. The dispute arose after MLA Pannalal Shakya made controversial remarks regarding women and historical religious epics.

Shakya claimed that in historical and religious conflicts such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, men were the ones who died in battle while women were not. He further referred to Sita as ‘death material’ (maut ka saaman), suggesting she should have been returned with honor to avoid conflict. He also cited the story of Prithviraj Chauhan and Sanyogita to argue that men bore the brunt of casualties in historical wars.

Fellow BJP MLA Priyanka Penchi interrupted Shakya from the stage to voice her objection. She challenged his perspective, stating that women have also made significant sacrifices and that viewing women as weak or merely needing protection is an incorrect mindset. Penchi emphasized that women are standing on their own strength in modern society, spanning politics and all other sectors.