"Have made no disrespectful comments, always respected women," says Kamal Nath to MP CM

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 20 (ANI): I made no disrespectful comment at the rally in Dabra yet you spread lies over it, alleged Congress leader Kamal Nath in his letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Kamal Nath's letter to Chouhan was written after the latter had written to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over the incident in which the former CM had made the 'item' remark against a female BJP candidate for the upcoming by-polls in Madhya Pradesh.
"In the rally at Dabra I made no disrespectful comments, then too you forwarded lies and the word which you are referring to has many meanings, many definitions, but due to fault in your and your party's thoughts are defining it as per your whim and spreading lies and are trying to mislead the public," Kamal Nath's letter read.
The former CM asserted that the state's voters knew that it was another ploy by the BJP to retain power by taking the discourse of the elections away from the main issues.
"Under 15 years of your rule Madhya Pradesh stayed on top in the country on issues of rape with sisters and daughters, atrocities on women and crimes against the women, you stayed silent on these issues for years," he said and further alleged that in the past seven months of BJP rule too many such incidents of crimes against women have taken place in the state.
He also slammed the CM for the two-hour silent protest he had kept on Monday.
The Congress leader said that he has always respected women and will continue to do so throughout his life, and further recounted the instances involving BJP leaders in which derogatory statements against women had been issued.
Kamal Nath further urged Chouhan to take steps for ensuring safety of women in the state and rise up from petty politics.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a detailed report from Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) over the Congress leader Kamal Nath's "item remark" at an election rally made against BJP leader Imarti Devi.
This came after the National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over the 'derogatory remarks' made by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on a woman minister.
In the run-up to Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly by-polls, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath referred to Imarti Devi as an "item", sparking a controversy.
"Suresh Raje ji hamare ummeedvar hai...yeh uske jaise nah hai...kya hai uska naam ... main kya uska naam lun? ...apko toh mujhe pehle savdhan karna chahiye tha ... yeh kya item hai... (Our candidate is not like her... what's her name? You know her better and should have warned me earlier... What an item!), Kamal Nath said in Hindi while the crowd called out Imarti Devi's name.
The former CM was addressing a campaign rally in Dabra for Congress candidate Suresh Raje. Imarti Devi is also contesting on the BJP ticket from Dabra. (ANI)