Union Minister and BJP leader Savitri Thakur recently faced criticism after failing to correctly write the slogan 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' in Hindi on a whiteboard during her visit to a school in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district. The incident, captured on video, shows Thakur mistakenly writing 'Beti Padao Bachav' instead. The video has since gone viral on social media.


Savitri Thakur, according to her election affidavit, has completed education up to Class 12. The event, held on June 18 under the 'School Chalo Abhiyan' at a government school in Dhar, had Thakur as the chief guest in her capacity as the Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development.


This incident has sparked a political controversy, with the Congress and BJP exchanging sharp words. Senior Congress leader KK Mishra described the incident as a "misfortune of democracy," criticizing the inability of officials to write correctly in their native language. Mishra questioned the capability of such leaders in running their ministries and suggested amending the Constitution to mandate minimum educational qualifications for election candidates.


Mishra further remarked that while the country is purportedly progressing towards higher literacy rates, the incident highlights a lack of literacy among those in responsible positions, calling it a systemic issue rather than an individual one.


In response, BJP's Dhar President Manoj Somani accused the Congress of engaging in "petty and anti-tribal thinking." He defended Thakur, emphasizing her pure intentions and sentiments, and criticized the Congress for not respecting these sentiments. Somani argued that the tribal community would not tolerate the disrespect shown to a tribal woman. He attributed Thakur's mistake to excitement and haste during the event, suggesting that the Congress's reaction stemmed from their inability to accept Thakur's rising prominence as an innocent tribal leader.


Adding to the criticism, Madhya Pradesh Assembly's Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Umang Singhar, also a tribal leader from Dhar, commented on Thakur's error, further fueling the political debate.