Star shuttler Saina Nehwal on Saturday lashed out at Shamanur Shivashankarappa, veteran Congress leader from the state, for making "sexist jibe" at Gayatri Siddeshwara, a BJP candidate from the Davangere constituency.

Shivashankarappa, a 92-year-old sitting MLA from Davangere South, had said that Gayatri, wife of former Union Minister and incumbent MP Siddeshwara GM, "belonged to the kitchen".

Taking exception to his remark, Nehwal posted on her X account: "Women should be restricted to the kitchen – this is what a top Karnataka leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa ji has said. The sexist jibe at @bjp4india candidate from Davanagere, Gayatri Siddeshwara ji is least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon." The 34-year-old Nehwal, who had won the bronze medal during the 2012 London Olympics, said such misogynistic remarks were upsetting when women in the country are aspiring to leave their mark in every field.

"When I won medals for Bharat on the play field what would Congress party have preferred, I should have done? Why say like that when all the girls and women dream of achieving big in any field.

"On one hand we are doing Nari Shakti ko Vandan. The Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed under leadership of our PM Modi sir and on the other hand Nari Shakti ka apman & misogynistic people…really upsetting,” wrote Nehwal.

Shivashankarappa made the controversial remark while addressing Congress party workers at Bunts Bhavan in the district recently.

"She (Gayathri) does not even know how to speak properly. She is fit to cook food at home," said Shivashankarappa, who once owned a franchise, Davanagere Diamonds, in the erstwhile Karnataka Premier League (KPL).

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