MP bypolls: Mayawati attacks Congress for Kamal Nath's 'item' remark

Bhopal, Oct 19: Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati on Monday hit out at senior Congressman Kamal Nath for using the term "item" while ridiculing a Madhya Pradesh woman minister during a bypoll campaign speech.

She asked Dalits to vote for the BSP to teach the Congress a lesson over this remark.

Speaking on Sunday in Dabra, where the Congress is up against the BJP's Imarti Devi, Nath had told the crowd his party candidate was a "simple person" while his opponent was an "item".

"Congress senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's indecent comment against a Dalit woman contesting bypolls from Dabra in Gwalior (division) is grossly anti-woman, highly shameful and highly deplorable," Mayawati tweeted, adding that the Congress high command must apologise for Nath's remark.

In another tweet, she asked Dalits to vote for her party in order to teach the Congress a lesson.

Imarti Devi and 21 other MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia had resigned from the Congress and the state Assembly and joined the BJP in March, in the process bringing down the Nath government.

Bypolls for 28 seats are slated for November 3 while counting of votes will be held on November 10.