Congress MLA and candidate from Jamtara Irfan Ansari’s comment sparks row, BJP seeks immediate apology

RANCHI: A major row has erupted in poll bound state of Jharkhand after Indian National Congress (INC) MLA and minister for Rural Development Irfan Ansari quoted a controversy with his remarks on rival candidate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sita Soren on Thursday, October 24.

Interacting with the media after filing his nomination from the Jamtara constituency, Ansari a two term MLA on Thursday remarked that the borrowed players will not make a difference in the upcoming elections.

Rejected stuffs (maal) are being hijacked but it will not work. I would like to appeal to those candidates who I have defeated previously that it’s time to fight or the BJP will finish you, said Ansari while citing that he has been given a clean sweep in the elections. Ansari’s remark has now stirred a major political row in the state gearing to hold assembly elections next month.

शर्म करो INDI गठबंधन!

कांग्रेस विधायक इरफान अंसारी का भाजपा नेत्री और स्वर्गीय दुर्गा सोरेन जी की धर्मपत्नी श्रीमती सीता सोरेन जी को “रिजेक्टेड माल” कहना INDI गठबंधन के घटिया संस्कारों को दर्शाता है।

अब आप ही सोचिए कि ये ठगबंधन वाले अगर महिलाओं के लिए इस तरह के शब्द उपयोग करते… pic.twitter.com/WdgOS2oN7v

— BJP JHARKHAND (@BJP4Jharkhand) October 25, 2024

Reacting to the comments made by Ansari, BJP candidate from Jamtara Sita Soren in a long post on social media platform X said that Ansari must apologise for the indecent language used against her in front of the media.

“Congress candidate Irfan Ansari must apologise for the indecent language he used against me in front of the media right after filing his nomination. He earlier had too made personal comments against me though that time he has crossed the limits. Irfan Ji apologise otherwise be prepared for a fierce protest,” said the former JMM leader who switched sides to join BJP before the Lok Sabha polls in May this year.

She further said that the kind of language used against her by a person on such a respected post has frightened the women’s society.

कांग्रेस @INCIndia प्रत्याशी इरफान अंसारी ने नामांकन के तुरंत बाद मीडिया के सामने मेरे लिए जो अमर्यादित भाषा का प्रयोग किया है, उसके लिए उन्हें माफी मांगनी होगी। पहले भी उन्होंने मेरे बारे में व्यक्तिगत बातें बोली हैं, लेकिन इस बार उन्होंने सारी सीमाएं लांघ दी हैं। इरफान जी… pic.twitter.com/MceNhscoxS

— Sita Soren (@SitaSorenMLA) October 25, 2024

“If you can use such words for me then what must be going on the poor and helpless women. As long as such leaders remain in power, women will remain unsafe, the time has come to uproot them from power. The way you look at women is in front of the public today, and the masses will answer it,” added Soren.

Meanwhile, the BJP spokesperson Pradeep Kumar Sinha in a press conference held on Friday too condemned the remarks made by Ansari and asked the JMM and Congress to take action against the Jharkhand legislator.

“The statement made by Irfan Ansari is not only highly objectionable but it also reflects his mindset about women and girls. The language which was used is inappropriate and is only used by those who has such values. The BJP believes that JMM should act against him and the election commission should also take legal against him by taking cognizance on the matter,” added the BJP spokesperson.

Sinha further alleged that if anything comes from a particular community they (JMM-Congress) remain silent, this raises a question mark.

“Sita Soren was a former leader of the JMM, she is daughter-in-law of Soren’s family and the way indecent language was used against her will the Soren family condemn the remarks made by Irfan Ansari?” he added.

It must be noted that women’s safety has been one of the core issues of the election campaign of the opposition parties headed by the BJP for the upcoming assembly polls.

Notably this is not the only time that Ansari’s name has been popped up in a controversy and the Congress legislators had also quoted a controversy in August last year when he made an indecent remarks against the former Chief Minister of the state Babu Lal Marandi.

झारखंड से कॉंग्रेस के विधायक इरफ़ान अंसारी आदिवासी समाज की बुद्धिमता पर सवाल उठाते हुए पूछ रहे हैं कि ‘आदिवासी इतना तेज़ कैसे हो सकता है? (How can a tribal be so intelligent?)’
शर्मनाक! pic.twitter.com/nFrdwHClrM

— BJYM (@BJYM) August 2, 2023

Addressing the house Ansari had then remarked that ” How come Babulal Ji become so intelligent, I cannot figure out how can a Adivasi be so intelligent?”.  Ansari remarks ignited a major row, attracting sharpen reactions from the state and central leadership of the BJP who slammed the Congress legislator for his objectional remarks.

Ansari was also criticized heavily after he made objectional remarks against the bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut in the year 2022.