By News18
Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress announced on Friday that it will distribute sanitary pads to 5 lakh women. The sanitary pads will have a picture of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
The initiative, called Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana, aims to raise menstrual hygiene awareness and is part of the Congress鈥檚 broader women-centric outreach.
While addressing a press conference in Patna, Congress State President Rajesh Ram said that the party will launch a campaign through the Mahila Congress to distribute sanitary pads to 5 lakh women, while also promoting awareness about health issues among them.
鈥淲e are going to launch a campaign through Mahila Congress to distribute sanitary pads to women, and our target is to reach 5 lakh women. Mahila Congress members will also spread awareness about health issues,鈥 he said.
What seemed to be a key election strategy by the Congress in Bihar, inspired by the film 鈥楶adman鈥, to woo women voters by distributing sanitary pads, has triggered a full-fledged controversy in the state.
Union Minister and LJP leader Chirag Paswan condemned the campaign announced by the Congress, calling it an 鈥渋nappropriate鈥 decision to have Rahul Gandhi鈥檚 photo on the sanitary pad.
鈥淚t is a good thing that the Congress party is distributing sanitary pads, but having Rahul Gandhi鈥檚 photo on them is completely inappropriate. I condemn this,鈥 he said.
Congress leader Alka Lamba responded to the controversy, emphasising the real issue of menstrual hygiene in Bihar. She criticises the BJP鈥檚 stance as anti-women, highlighting the need to address the root problem of women using cloth during menstruation and facing health risks.
鈥淚n the modern era, the question should not be why Rahul ji鈥檚 photo was put on the sanitary napkin box鈥攖he real question is why our daughters in Bihar are still forced to use cloth during menstruation, becoming victims of serious diseases? BJP鈥檚 thinking has always been anti-women,鈥 she posted on X.
The Assembly elections in the state are expected to take place in October or November this year.