Girish Mahajan apologises after remark draws flak

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan has apologised for his sexist remark that alcohol brands should be named after women. He had made the suggestion to entrepreneurs in the sugar belt in north Maharashtra and had immediately come under criticism from all sections of society.

“I have expressed regret for whatever I said. My apologies to all women,” the Water Resources and Irrigation Minister said a day after he made the remark at Nandurbar’s Satpuda Cooperative Sugar Factory.

He had said liquor brands named after women were doing well the world over.

“That is why I asked you [manufacturers] what the name of your brand is. You said Maharaja. Make it Maharani and see the difference and jump in sales. Even the tobacco industry is making the same mistake with brand names like Kamal and Vimal,” Mr. Mahajan had said.

BJP’s ally Shiv Sena condemned the statement. Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna said on Monday that the Minister made the remark even though he was aware of the movement against alcohol and tobacco by women across the State.

Unfortunate, says Sena

“The remarks are unfortunate, especially to think the government, on the one hand, is launching campaign to curb consumption of such products and, on the other, it is suggesting using women’s names to sell them,” the newspaper said in its editorial on Monday.

The Aam Aadmi Party said it was glad the Minister was forced to apologise. “But his values, or rather the lack of them, is still despicable,” senior AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon said on Monday.

Meanwhile, a social activist has filed a police complaint against the Minister.