Bengaluru, April 15: Former BJP MLA Sanjay Patil stirred controversy by making a mocking comment about Congress Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar during the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign in Karnataka.
Patil, speaking at a party workers’ meeting, suggested that Hebbalkar might need an “extra peg” or a sleeping pill due to the increasing support of women for the BJP in Belagavi.
Responding to Patil’s remarks, Hebbalkar criticized the “one peg” suggestion in a video statement, questioning whether this reflected the BJP’s respect for women beyond slogans like “beti bachao, beti padhao.”
Hebbalkar’s son, Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, is contesting against BJP candidate and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar in Belagavi.
During campaign meetings, Hebbalkar reminded the public of Shettar’s political journey, highlighting his shifts between parties and considering him an “outsider” due to his origins from Hubballi, unlike her local roots in Belagavi.