BJP leader Sita Soren breaks down over Congress minister's derogatory remarks

BJP leader Sita Soren on Sunday broke down while speaking about the derogatory remarks allegedly made by Congress minister Irfan Ansari regarding her.

Soren, who is contesting the Jharkhand assembly polls from the Jamtara seat, was addressing the press a day before filing her nomination papers.

Ansari, the Congress candidate in the seat, allegedly made the derogatory remark about Soren after filling his nomination on Thursday.

"Ansari has been targeting me since my candidature from the seat was announced. But, the derogatory remarks he made after filing his nomination are not acceptable. It is an insult to women of the tribal community. The tribal community will never forgive him," she said.

"Since my husband is not alive, he (Ansari)...," she said, breaking down.

Sita Soren, the wife of JMM chief Shibu Soren's eldest son Durga Soren, joined the BJP earlier this year following a fallout with the family over the chief minister's chair after Hemant Soren resigned from the post and went to jail in a money laundering case. Hemant Soren is Shibu Soren's younger son.

As she broke down, BJP's Nawada MP Vivek Thakur, who was accompanying her, tried to handle the situation.

Criticising the remarks made by the Congress leader, he said the BJP will protest over it not only in Jamtara but across the state.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on Saturday took cognisance of Ansari's remarks and issued a notice to the Jharkhand government, seeking a report within three days.