On Friday, January 14, Jharkhand Congress MLA Dr Irfan Ansari released a video where he has vowed to make roads of his assembly constituency, Jamtara, smoother than the cheeks of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
#WATCH | Jharkhand: I assure you that roads of Jamtara “will be smoother than cheeks of film actress Kangana Ranaut”; construction of 14 world-class roads will begin soon..: Dr Irfan Ansari, Congress MLA, Jamtara
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2022
(Source: Self-made video dated January 14) pic.twitter.com/MRpMYF5inW
“I assure you that roads of Jamtara will be smoother than cheeks of film actress Kangana Ranaut. Construction of fourteen world-class roads will begin soon… Chakachak sadke banegi…yeh kaam hain Irfan Ansari ka,” the Congress leader directed the sexist jibe at the Manikarnika actress while boasting about constructing fourteen world-class roads in his constituency.
The Congress MLA further claimed that such roads would never have been developed under the former government of BJP leader Raghubar Das in Jharkhand. He went on to say that people were suffering from a range of diseases as a result of the dust and that when his administration is formed, he plans to focus on development projects for the locals.
“Now, I have got 14 roads approved in the Hemant Soren government. The roads have now gone for tender, soon the construction work will start,” he said.
Interestingly, earlier this week, Irfan Ansari had courted another controversy as he claimed that wearing a mask for a long time is detrimental to health. The Congress MLA who touts his credentials as an ‘MBBS doctor’ had said during a program that excessive and prolonged use of masks leads to inhalation of carbon dioxide.
“Masks should not be worn for long. I am saying as an MBBS doctor that there should not be prolonged mask usage. One should wear a mask in crowds. There is no need to panic during this third wave of Covid-19. The symptoms will get cured in five-six days,” said Dr Irfan Ansari.
Now, the Congress MLA has once again sparked a new round of controversy by comparing the roads in his assembly constituency, Jamtara to the cheeks of actor Kangana Ranaut.
Politicians who have made similar sexist jibes like the Jharkhand Congress MLA in the past
The comparison of highways and roads to the skin and cheeks of movie actors appears to be a favourite of politicians of all hues and times. In November 2021, newly appointed Rajasthan minister and Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha had courted controversy after his remarks comparing the state’s roads to actor Katrina Kaif’s cheeks went viral.
As per the reports, the minister first said the roads should be made like Hema Malini cheeks. After a few moments, he said, “no… Hema Malini has become old.” Then he asked the people present at the meeting, “Which actress is famous in films nowadays?” When people took the name of Katrina Kaif, he said, “Then the roads of my village should be made like the cheeks of Katrina Kaif.”
Likewise, Maharashtra minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil also had to apologise after the state women’s commission strongly objected to his remarks likening the roads in his constituency to Hema Malini’s cheeks.
In 2019, Congress leader PC Sharma compared the roads of Madhya Pradesh with the cheeks of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and said the Congress government would make them like the cheeks of Hema Malini.
Back in 2005, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav also gave a similar sexist statement. At the time, he had said that Bihar roads would become as smooth as the cheeks of Hema Malini.
