MLCs up in arms against leader for demeaning soldiers' wives
The Opposition threatened to stall the House's functioning unless action is taken against Mr Paricharak.
Mumbai: Women members of the Upper House in Maharashtra have claimed that they would not allow Prashant Paricharak, the MLC who had allegedly made statements demeaning soldiers’ wives, to set foot in the House. Other members demanded Mr Paricharak’s suspension, and while the chairman and the leader of the House agreed to sit and discuss the issue, the Opposition demanded that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis initiate the leader’s suspension.
Mr Paricharak, while addressing a rally in Pandharpur, had said, “Soldiers distribute sweets at the Punjab border after having babies when they had not come home for a whole year.”
At the onset of the proceedings of the Upper House, Dananjay Munde, leader of Opposition, raised the issue. “An MLC used words against the family of soldiers and he should be suspended,” said Mr Munde, referring to Mr Paricharak, who wasn’t seen in the House on Monday.
Terming Mr Paricharak’s statement an insult to all women, Dr Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena MLC, said, “Balasaheb (late Sena chief Bal Thackeray) would have suggested that such a person be hanged to death for demeaning women and soldiers.”
Another woman MLC, Vidya Chavan from the Nationalist Congress Party, said, “We women won’t allow Paricharak to enter the house for using such words.”
Echoing Mr Munde’s sentiments, Congress leader Bhai Jagtap said he hailed from a village where every house has someone either in defence or the police force and such words were an insult. He added that Mr Paricharak’s suspension should be initiated by Mr Fadnavis himself. “The chief minister should initiate action and all parties will support it,” Mr Jagtap said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the House, Ramraje Nimbalkar, asked the leader of the House Chandrakant Patil to convene a meeting with Mr Fadnavis and other leaders of the party in his chamber where it would be decided what action should be taken against Mr Paricharak.
The Opposition threatened to stall the House’s functioning unless action is taken against Mr Paricharak.