The BJP MLA and celebrated folk singer did not mince words after the independent MP’s controversial remarks targeting women political leaders crossed a line she refuses to ignore.
In a sharp and emotionally charged response, BJP MLA Maithili Thakur came out swinging against independent MP Pappu Yadav on Sunday, calling his remarks against women leaders not just indecent but unforgivable.
Speaking in Gaya, Bihar, Thakur — widely known beyond politics for her soulful rendering of folk and devotional music — said the statement struck a deeply personal chord, one that went far beyond political rivalry.
“This is a very indecent remark… He has made such a grave accusation against women leaders. I think such people should apologise — although I don’t think that even if they do, we will be able to forgive them, because they have caused a very serious hurt.”— Maithili Thakur, BJP MLA
A personal stand, not just a political one
What made Thakur’s response particularly powerful was how she grounded it in personal experience. She spoke of growing up in a household where the decision to step into public life was not taken lightly — and where family trust was the foundation of that leap.
“I myself come from a family where we consider what kind of atmosphere the place will have where we are going,” she said, adding that her own father encouraged her entry into politics only after placing complete trust in her character and capability.
For Thakur, Pappu Yadav’s remarks are not merely an affront to political opponents — they represent a generalised attack on the dignity of women who enter public life with the backing of family, community, and their own hard-earned credibility.
Background
Independent MP Pappu Yadav recently made a statement that drew wide condemnation for allegedly casting aspersions on women political leaders. Multiple BJP women leaders have since come forward to denounce the remarks as deeply offensive and misogynistic in nature.
Between accountability and absolution
In a rare and candid moment, Thakur drew a distinction between demanding accountability and granting forgiveness — and made it clear the two do not necessarily travel together. While she insisted Yadav owes a public apology, she was equally clear-eyed about its limits.
Her words reveal something important about how women in Indian politics are increasingly refusing the old playbook of gracious restraint. The injury, she suggested, is not merely rhetorical — it is moral, and it lingers.
This is not a matter of party lines or electoral positioning. It is a question of the basic respect owed to women who choose to serve in public office — often navigating scrutiny that their male counterparts simply do not face.
Why this moment matters
Maithili Thakur’s voice carries weight in Bihar — not just politically, but culturally. As an artist who built a national following before entering electoral politics, she embodies the kind of public figure whose entry into governance was a considered, principled decision. When she says her father trusted her to navigate these spaces, it is a reminder of how much unspoken negotiation still accompanies a woman’s rise in Indian political life.
Her refusal to offer easy forgiveness is, in its own way, a form of accountability — a signal to the political class that such remarks carry real consequences, and that the women on the receiving end are not interested in performative gestures.
The ball is now squarely in Pappu Yadav’s court. And if Thakur’s words are any indication, an apology — if one comes — will be scrutinised, not celebrated.
Source: ANITags: Maithili Thakur · Pappu Yadav · Bihar · Women in Politics
