Jharkhand elections: FIR registered against Congress' Irfan Ansari over 'rejected goods' remarks on BJP's Sita Soren

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand's additional chief electoral officer, Neha Arora, announced on Saturday that an FIR has been registered against Minister Irfan Ansari in Jamtara district. Ansari is accused of making derogatory remarks about BJP leader Sita Soren, referring to her as "rejected" and a "borrowed player."

"A case of MCC violation has been registered. An FIR has been registered in Jamtara district for violating MCC provisions. Strict advisory has also been issued to all the political parties in this regard," Arora said.

Union minister Annapurna Devi condemned Ansari's remarks, claiming it reflects poorly on the Congress party.

"He (Irfan Ansari) has given a very wrong statement on Sita Soren. This exposes the mentality of the Congress party. The Congress party is anti-women and anti-youth...I condemn this statement... Will Rahul Gandhi take back the tickets given to people with such a low level of thinking?... The Congress party should remove such people from the cabinet," she said.

BJP leader Sita Soren expressed her disbelief at Ansari's comments. "I am unable to understand where he gets the courage to make such statements. Who is giving him the courage to make such statements, because no one has ever made such statements against me in Jharkhand...The party has informed the Election Commission about his statement. We will not forgive him...The entire tribal population is angry," she declared.



Ragini Singh, another BJP leader, accused Congress of having a policy that insults women.

"This is his mentality. It is the policy of Congress to comment on a woman but BJP policy is to respect all the women whether they are of Congress or of BJP," Singh said.

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The controversy started when Ansari, the Congress candidate for the Jamtara constituency, referred to Sita Soren, the BJP candidate from the same constituency, as "rejected" and a "borrowed player."

Soren posted a video on X, attacking Ansari for his remarks and demanding an apology.

"Congress candidate Irfan Ansari must apologise for the indecent language he used against me in front of the media immediately after filing his nomination. He has previously made personal comments about me, but this time he has crossed all limits. Irfan ji, apologise, or be prepared for fierce opposition," she posted.


She further added, "The indecent words you used while holding such a respected position have alarmed women across society. If you can use such words for me, what must poor and vulnerable women face? As long as such leaders remain in power, women will remain unsafe. The time has come to remove them from power. The way you look at women is now before the public, and the public will respond."

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The BJP has announced an alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections. The BJP is set to contest 68 seats, AJSU 10 seats, JD-U two seats, and LJP one seat.

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