Jamshedpur: Offending women is in the DNA of the Congress leaders and its functionaries have been using derogatory words against them by their leaders or allies, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Sahdeo claimed on Saturday here.

Sahdeo was referring to a recent controversial comment made by senior Congress leader and assembly election candidate Dr Ajoy Kumar against his BJP rival Purnima Sahu who the daughter-in-law of Odisha Governor and former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das.

“It was nothing new for senior Congress leaders as using disgracing words against women was in their DNA,” Sahu alleged.

Kumar, an AICC executive committee member and former state Congress president, had also made a disparaging remark against Droupadi Murmu when she was the NDA Presidential candidate, the BJP leader asserted.

He also cited alleged instances of other leaders of the Congress and its allies making derogatory remarks against women. “Surprisingly, no action was taken against these leaders by top party leadership,” Sahu said.

The Jharkhand BJP spokesperson alleged that 7,400 women were raped in the state during the Hemant Soren regime.

One-third of those 7,400 belonged to Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe but charge sheets were filed in less than 25 per cent of the incidents, Sahu claimed.

On the other hand, women continuously progressed when the BJP was in power in Jharkhand, he said.