Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a policy allowing women to retain their maiden surname after marriage. Her request came against the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi’s speech in Rajya Sabha where he launched a frontal attack on the Gandhi family members asking why they were “ashamed of using the Nehru surname.”
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Prime Minister Modi targeted the Congress over the government’s criticism for ignoring Jawaharlal Nehru’s efforts in nation-building. Citing a newspaper report, PM Modi said that as many as 600 government schemes are only in the name of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
“…if Nehru ji’s name is left out by us, we would correct our mistake as he was the first prime minister of the country. But I do not understand why anyone from his clan is afraid of keeping Nehru surname? Is there any shame in having the Nehru surname? What is the shame? When the family is not ready to accept such a great personality, why do you keep questioning us,” he said.
The prime minister “mocked the patriarchal idea of women having to adopt their husband’s surname” and should introduce a favourable policy rather than “sounding so clueless”, Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
She tweeted, “Now that he has mocked the patriarchal idea of women having to adopt their husband’s surname I ask PM Modi to introduce a policy allowing women to retain their maiden surnames&allow her kids too rather than sounding so truly clueless..”
The Congress has hit out at Prime Minister Modi for his remarks on the Gandhis not using the Nehru name saying he doesn’t have the basic understanding of Indian culture.
“Someone who is sitting on such a responsible position does not know or understand the culture of India…will speak like this…. You can ask any person in the country, who uses maternal grandfather’s surname?” AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala told a press conference at the party headquarters.
“If he does not even have this basic understanding of India’s culture, then only God can save this country,” Surjewala said.
