Independence Day 2022: ‘Stop disrespecting women,’ PM Modi’s emotional appeal to uphold Nari Shakti

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New
Delhi,
Aug
15:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
on
Monday
said
respect
for
women
is
an
important
pillar
for
India’s
growth
and
stressed
the
need
to
extend
support
to
‘Nari
Shakti’.

Addressing
the
nation
from
the
ramparts
of
the
Red
Fort
on
the
76th
Independence
Day,
he
said
it
is
important
that
in
speech
and
conduct
“we
do
nothing
that
lowers
the
dignity
of
women”.

“A
distortion
has
crept
in
our
conduct
and
we
at
times
insult
women.
Can
we
take
a
pledge
to
get
rid
of
this
from
our
behaviour
and
values,”
he
posed.

Corruption
and
nepotism,
India’s
two
major
challenges:
PM
Modi

Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
said
that
India’s
unity
resides
in
its
diversity.
“We
must
ensure
gender
equality
to
ensure
this
unity…
if
daughters
and
sons
are
not
treated
equally,
there
won’t
be
unity,”
he
added.

Highlighting
the
strength
of
women
in
India’s
freedom
struggle,
PM
Modi
said,
“Every
Indian
is
filled
with
pride
when
they
remember
the
strength
of
the
women
of
India-
be
it
Rani
Laxmibai,
Jhalkari
Bai,
Chennamma,
Begun
Hazrat
Mahal.”

As
for
the
political
context,
the
PM’s
reference
to
woman
power
comes
as
recently
the
Congress
Leader
Adhir
Ranjan
Chowdhury
called
President
Droupadi
Murmu
as
“rashtrapatni”
which
created
a
ruckus
in
both
Houses
of
the
Parliament.

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Chowdhury’s
comment
sparked
outrage
in
the
Lok
Sabha
and
Rajya
Sabha,
with
Minister
of
Minority
Affairs
Smriti
Irani
and
Finance
Minister
Nirmala
Sitharaman
leading
the
charge.
Irani
and
Congress
interim
president
Sonia
Gandhi
had
a
furious
conversation,
which
has
sparked
its
own
controversy.