Renuka Chowdary
Renuka Chowdary (Telugu: రేణుక చౌదరి) is an India, feminist politician and the Former Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Women and Child Development in the Government of India from January 2006 to May 2009.[1] She recently was authorized by the Congress party to take part in TV debates as their spokesperson.
Political career
A graduate in B.A. Industrial Psychology from Bangalore University, Bangalore, she entered politics in 1984 as a member the Telugu Desam Party. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms, from 1986 to 1998. During that period, she was the Chief Whip of the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party. In 1998, she left the TDP to join the Congress party. She continues to be a member of the Congress party. In 1999 and 2004, she was elected to the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively representing Khammam. She was also the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare from 1997 to 1998 in the cabinet of H. D. Deve Gowda. Other important positions she held include memberships of the Committee on Finance (1999–2000) and Committee on the Empowerment of Women (2000–2001). In the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance ministry in May 2004, she became Minister of State for Tourism.
In the May 2009 Lok Sabha parliamentary elections, Renuka Chowdary lost from Khammam by close to 1.5 lakh votes.
Renuka Chowdary supported the UPA government's bill on protection of women from domestic violence which drew controversy. In an interview to Karan Thapar, she admitted that the law could be misused by some.[2]
It’s time for men to suffer
After the 2009 Mangalore pub attack by the Sri Ram Sena on a pub in Mangalore, Karnataka, where several young women were attacked in an alleged incident of moral policing, she championed the cause of progressive city youth by calling for a "Pub Bharo" campaign[4] and by claiming that Mangalore had been "talibanized".[5] However, this drew criticism from some quarters, including the mayor of Mangalore, who has initiated a legal proceeding against her for allegedly defaming the people of Mangalore and its culture and hurting religious sentiments.[6]
Controversy
- She appeared on NDTV on September 7 2011 after the Delhi High Court bomb blast to justified Government's stand on the issue. However she was criticized for justifying Government's inability to handle large number of terrorist attack in recent times and putting ownership of security on common people. She also gave example of how Anna Hazare had threatened national security and how Delhi police took proactive measures by arresting him on August 16 2011.
- She did not vacate her official residence even two years after losing her parliament seat.[7]
- She compared Anna Hazare's movement against corruption to an Indian drama movie, Peepli Live on an Indian news channel. This happened on Aug 16 2011 in an interview with Arnab Goswami of Times Now.
- After losing the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, she has still not vacated her government bungalow.[8]
- On 20 January 1993, Assistant Sub Inspector Suraj Mal, of the Delhi Police posted on the route at Kautilya Marg near Teen Murti, Central Delhi, on which the Prime Minister was to pass, stopped cars (including Renuka Chowdary’s car) to allow an uninterrupted passage to the PM’s entourage. Chowdary then got down from the car, quarrelled with Head Constable Janki Ram, also on duty, and abused him besides giving him fist blows and kicks. She was charged under Sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of IPC (Indian Penal Code). She was later discharged in the assault case by Additional Sessions Judge D S Paweriya in April 2005, as he set aside Metropolitan Magistrate Siddharth Sharma’s 9 February order to frame charges against the Minister.[9]
- In 2000, India's biggest tax evader, Hassan Ali Khan, gifted a Rs 1.2 crore diamond to Congress politician from Andhra Pradesh, Renuka Chowdary. These revelations have been made by Khan's one-time business partner Kashinath Tapuriah, a Kolkata-based industrialist now lodged in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail with Khan in a case of tax evasion.Tapuriah says, "I had taken a diamond from Soir Jewellers in Mumbai, owned by building contractor Abbas Naqvi, to keep with me. (It) cost around Rs 1.2 crore. Khan took it saying he would give me the money or the diamond within three months. He told me that he wanted to give the diamond to an important person and referred to Renuka Chowdary. She is a politician. Khan had told me that she was a very close friend. I was never paid for the diamond...". He also said "I had gone to meet Khan at a flat in Mumbai. Choudhary was present there and Khan introduced me to him. Later, I came to know that Khan was staying with Chowdary in the flat."[10]
References
- ^ Renuka Chowdary's profile at the Lok Sabha website
- ^ CNN IBN's Devil's Advocate Interview of Renuka Chowdary by Karan Thapar
- ^ http://www.google.com.ar/search?hl=es&q=Renuka+Choudhary+It%E2%80%99s+time+for+men+to+suffer
- ^ Pub Bharo campaign news report
- ^ Talibanization is happening in Karnataka - Renuka Chowdary
- ^ NDTV reports on legal proceeding against Renuka Chowdary
- ^ "Why ex-ministers don't vacate their bunglows". http://ibnlive.in.com/news/why-exministers-dont-vacate-their-bunglows/100389-37.html.
- ^ Why ex-ministers don't vacate their bunglows
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Chowdary, Renuka |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
13 August 1954 |
| Place of birth |
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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