By IANS,
Panaji: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) officials in Goa have lambasted a national-level party functionary for referring to a senior woman party member as “chillar bai”. “Chillar” in Marathi and Konkani means small change and the remark castigates the woman as “petty change”.
NCP general secretary Avinash Bhosale said that disciplinary action must be taken against party national secretary Jeetendra Deshprabhu for his “vulgar” and “unbecoming” attack on the party’s secretary-in-charge of Goa Bharti Chawan.
“No one has the right to assassinate the character of the woman in the NCP. This vulgar and unbecoming language is indeed very deplorable,” Bhosale said.
Deshprabhu, speaking to a section of media, had called Chawan as “chillar bai”.
Deshprabhu also accused Chawan of taking money in return for official appointments to party posts, hinting at a cash-for-post scandal in the NCP.
“Who is Bharti Chawan? She is a ‘chillar bai’. Bharati Chavan is in Goa only to make money. She has been taking money in return for posts in the party,” Deshprabhu had said.
Kishor Gawade, culture secretary of the youth wing of the party, said the incident was deplorable and party president Sharad Pawar should personally intervene and initiate action against the erring member.
“We will report this matter to Mr Pawar. Such language is not acceptable,” Gawade said.
The NCP, with three legislators, is the second biggest partner in Goa’s coalition government.