Wait till Rahul Gandhi offers free sex to adults: Madhu Kishwar's tweet sparks outrage

Debates over “election freebies” hit an all-time low when activist-scholar Madhu Purnima Kishwar put out a controversial post on Twitter, reacting to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's announcement that his party would ensure minimum income guarantee for every poor in the country if voted to power.

“If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person to help eradicate poverty and hunger,” Rahul had said on the micro-blogging site on January 28.

Responding to this, Kishwar, a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said: “Wait till Rahul Gandhi also promises free sex for every adult male for a certain number of days every year!”

Kishwar's comment soon sparked a Twitter war.

“That’s why BJP MLAs watched porn in Karnataka Vidhan Sabha and media got them red hand!!!! Where were u that time to throw ur free tweet,” read one comment.

“Why this sexist approach. If one is really expecting RG to declare free sex, why restrict the expectation to just adult males. Why not adult females too,” goes another.

Kishwar is the founder of human rights organisation, MANUSHI.

As more reactions started pouring in, Kishwar sought to defend herself and reiterated her allegations that the Congress president was “going berserk making wild promises”.

“U [sic] have no problem with Rahul Gandhi going berserk making wild promises which will ruin Indian economy? Free this, free that, instead of making people worthy of good jobs. Shocked at irresponsibility involved in making India into giant beggars' home—whether Modi does it or Rahul!,” she tweeted in reply to senior journalist Rahul Dev who had replied to her controversial tweet, saying “I can't believe you have written it. Stumped. Sad.”

Responding to another user, who pointed out about Modi's claim of depositing Rs 15 lakh to each person's account, Kishwar said: “From day one I was critical of Modi making wild promises. He is paying the price for not being able to live up to them. Rahul is going wilder.”

In another tweet, Kishwar elaborated upon her usage of “free sex” while responding to a user: “I'm no lunatic feminist to support "free sex". Amazed that all those who consider pornography as "freedom of expression" are upset at my mocking Rahul Gandhi by including "free sex" in his list of bounties & freebies as tho [sic] he's going to open his family's coffers 4 distribution.”