Actors-turned-politicians Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan’s choice of clothing for their first visit to Parliament after their victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was questioned by a section of social media users.
The two actresses contested the elections as Trinamool Congress representatives, and won by good margins.
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Mimi, who contested from Jadavpur, uploaded a photograph in which she is seen posing in front of Parliament, wearing a white shirt and a pair of denims.
Nusrat, the Basirhat Trinamool Congress MP, opted for a wine coloured fitted ensemble — a pair of pants with a peplum zipped top — for her visit to Parliament.
These were far different from the saris and salwar suits that a lot of women politicians wear to Parliament.
One social media user commented: “Parliament is not a photo studio”, while another user slammed Mimi saying “she is not suitable for the position”.
Another comment read: “You should wear some Indian attire in Parliament. You are going for people not for movie promotions. And keep some respect towards your Bengali society.”
“Wear sari in Parliament. You look like a tourist there,” one netizen wrote on Nusrat’s image, highlighting the stereotypes attached to women politicians in India.
Amidst criticism, Mimi and Nusrat found support from certain people.
One user praised Nusrat for her “attitude”. Another one congratulated her on her victory and encouraged her to “work like a lioness”.
This is not the first time that a woman politician has had to face people’s wrath due to her choice of clothes. Earlier this year, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s change of display picture on Twitter — from a sari-clad look to one in a pair of jeans — too sparked debate on social media.
