The controversy erupted over a recent statement by the husband of an Uttarakhand cabinet minister that women in Bihar “were sold for a certain amount in marriage”, with both the Congress and the Bihar unit of the BJP condemning the remarks.
At a public event in Uttarakhand’s Almora earlier this week, Girdhari Lal Sahu, husband of state minister for women and child development Rekha Arya, said that “girls are sold for ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 in Bihar”. While the minister and the Uttarakhand BJP are silent on the matter, the party’s Bihar unit has demanded an apology from Mr. Sahu for disrespecting the women of their state.
A video of Mr. Sahu commenting on the event has gone viral on social media. In the interview, he tried to convince some young BJP members present in the audience to get married at the “right time”.
“You are young now, when are you getting married? In old age? If you can’t get married….we will bring you a girl from Bihar. You will get girls there for ₹20,000-25,000,” said Mr. Sahu.
“Display Distortion”
Mr. Sahu sparked a public outcry and posted another video explaining his point. He claimed that his words were distorted and accused the opposition of misrepresenting his statement. “I was just talking about the marriage of some of my friends… The Congress officials have twisted this discussion and presented it in a completely distorted manner in the media. I have deep respect for women and can never speak ill of them,” Sahu said.
Opposition parties and even the BJP in Bihar have refused to accept the explanation of the minister’s husband, who also happens to be a member of the BJP.
Apsara, chairperson of the Bihar State Commission for Women, condemned his statement, saying it reflected his intellectual bankruptcy. “When the women of Bihar are reaching new heights… You are making such statements about them which is reprehensible… The Women’s Commission is taking suo motu notice and is sending a letter to him,” she said to apologize to the BJP leader for the statement.
Bihar BJP spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra also criticized Mr Saha, saying women were not a commodity for negotiation. “This statement is not only an insult to Bihar but to every woman and action will be taken against such individuals,” he added.
BJP JD(U) member Rampreet Mandal termed Mr. Sahu’s statement as “extremely objectionable”. At the same time, he demanded a written apology from him.
“Either Girdharilal did not get it from his family of proper value or he is not educated. I would appeal to him as well as our Prime Minister and Chief Minister to take note of this matter. If Girdharilal has made such a statement, he should retract it immediately,” he added.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram also criticized the statement and said that it is the nature of the BJP to disrespect the people of Bihar. “Look at the kind of language being used for women in Bihar. Bihar will not tolerate this… He should apologize to the people of Bihar,” he said.
Published – 02 Jan 2026 20:47 IST
