Gujarat BJP woos women voters with mangalsutras

Gujarat BJP's attempt to woo women electorate by distributing 'mangalsutras' with their poll symbol 'lotus' as a pendant, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition Congress, which has dubbed the exercise as an "insult to the Indian culture."

According to party insiders, the state BJP is planning to distribute more than 5,000 such 'mangalsutras' to the women electorate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"We will distribute mangalsutra to women as it is our medium of campaigning," said BJP media cell member Jagdish Bhavsar.

The gesture will help the party strike a permanent bond with the women electorate, he said.

Congress has demanded an apology from BJP and its Prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, in this regard.

"As per our culture, a woman gets mangalsutra from only her husband. Here in a shameful attempt to woo voters, a political party is distributing 'mangalsutra' to the fairer sex. It is an insult to the culture as well as women," said Congress women leaders in a joint statement here.

Noted danseuse and social activist Mallika Sarabhai, who is an independent contesting from Gandhinagar seat, has also hit out at BJP contending that it is amounting to bribing voters.

In a strongly worded letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Mallika said that BJP has insulted women by this act.

"It is an insult to Hindu sentiments where the mangalsutra is a sign of the holy bond between a man and a woman," she said.

"As an Indian woman and a Hindu I feel disgusted that such sentiments are being invoked by a national party," she said. "What are they suggesting by daring to give us mangalsutras?"