Rajasthan MLA Bahadur Singh Koli compares BJP budget to ‘son’, Congress's budget to ‘daughter’, row erupts
Times of India
by TNNFebruary 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Rajasthan MLA Bahadur Singh Koli has sparked controversy by comparing the BJP government's budget to "having a son" and the Congress-era budgets to "having a daughter" during a recent Assembly session. His remarks, which drew criticism from women's rights organizations, were deemed patriarchal and regressive, with groups demanding action against him for promoting anti-women sentiment. Koli claimed that BJP budgets are productive, likening them to sons who bring success, while Congress budgets, referred to as daughters, led to political setbacks for the party.
The MLA's comments were made during a heated debate in the Rajasthan Assembly on February 16, where he praised the BJP's budgetary policies and criticized the Congress for its financial decisions. He specifically targeted former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, stating that his final budget "gave birth to a daughter," which he claimed resulted in the party losing power. Koli's analogy was widely seen as offensive, as it implied that budgets led by women (symbolized as daughters) are less effective than those led by men (symbolized as sons).
The controversy has gained momentum as women's rights organizations have condemned the remarks as deeply patriarchal and misogynistic. They argue that such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes about gender roles and undermines women's contributions to public life. The issue has also highlighted the broader challenges of addressing regressive attitudes in Indian politics, where gender-based metaphors are often used to discuss governance and policy-making. This incident underscores the ongoing struggle for gender equality in India and the need for more inclusive political discourse.
Verticals
worldasia
Originally published on Times of India on 2/19/2026