'Saas-Bahu Serials Are...': Ex-Actor & Neta Smriti Irani Explains How TV Soaps Differ From Election Voting

Smriti Irani, a Union minister and a former actor who rose to fame with the daily soap ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi‘, said that ‘saas-bahu‘ serials are far from realities of life, and female voters need to pay attention to important political issues if they want women to be taken seriously in politics. “Casting your vote is a heavy responsibility, it is not a game of any TV serial,” she added.

“The women who understand this can have a successful social and political life. The Gandhi family looted the country by clicking pictures and smiling. Voting is a big responsibility, it is not a game of any TV serial,” she further said. Irani’s statements came on Friday during her interaction with businessmen in Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

Irani is the Women and Child Development, and Minority Affairs Minister. She had defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in this former stronghold of the Gandhis in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Itani further took a swipe at the situation of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc in Kerala’s Wayanad, where Gandhi scion is facing Annie Raja, wife of CPI general secretary D Raja.

The BJP has made the contest a triangular fight by fielding its state chief K Surendran from the seat.

“Left parties are saying that why does Rahul Gandhi not go to Uttar Pradesh and contest. But when the same Left goes to Delhi for an INDI Alliance meeting, they hug Rahul Gandhi. Yesterday I said in Kerala, ‘Delhi mein hugging, Kerala mein begging.’ The situation through which the Congress is going through in Karnataka, ‘It is Delhi mein hugging, Kerala mein begging, Karnataka mein thugging,” she said.

On Thursday, Irani campaigned for Surendran in Wayanad, a day after Gandhi visited the constituency to file his nomination. With a bow and arrow in hand, the Union Minister participated in a massive roadshow.

She also addressed the huge gathering wherein she slammed the Gandhi family for failing to do anything for their traditional seat — Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Irani also slammed the Congress and the CPI, who are INDIA bloc partners but are fighting in Wayanad against each other. She said this was nothing but cheating the people here.

“Just like how Rahul was booted out from Amethi, this time, the same will happen at Wayanad,” said the BJP supporters who raised pro-Modi and BJP slogans as the motorcade headed towards the Collectorate.