MHOW: Union junior minister for women and child development Savitri Thakur cut an embarrassing picture when she couldn't write four words in Hindi correctly at a govt school event in Dhar town on Tuesday to welcome students back after the holidays.
The school authorities invited her to be the first person to write "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" on a board to inspire children and staff, but she scrawled something that looked like "Bedhi Padao Bachchav".
In her Lok Sabha election affidavit, the 46-year-old has written that she passed her "higher secondary, Urdu Education Board" in 2018, and declared Rs 5.3 crore in assets.
Twice MP from Dhar constituency, Thakur was made a minister less than 10 days ago. The central minister was chief guest at a "School Chale Hum" event in Dhar town, 60km from Indore. She was expected to write the flagship campaign slogan, "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao", on a flex board. As cameras rolled, Thakur managed just three of the four words, that too with mistakes in letters and "matra".
A video of this was shared widely on social media. It shows people around her smiling uneasily at her mistake. Someone is heard prompting from behind, "Beti bachao", but in vain. Thakur did not respond to queries about the spelling blunder.
Dhar district BJP spokesperson Sanjay Sharma said, "Didi (Savitri Thakur) speaks the Nimari language and she was writing the same words which she speaks."
Congress reacted sharply to the minister's faux pas. MP leader of opposition and MLA from Gandhwani Umang Singar said, "It's true that there is no criteria for becoming an MP or a minister, but public representatives should have basic writing skills."