AAP MLA Naresh Balyan of Delhi has come under fire from former National Commission for Women (NCW) president Rekha Sharma for making a “misogynist” remark about actor-turned-politician Hema Malini in which he pledged to build roads as “smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks.”

During a live Facebook session, Balyan, the MLA for Uttam Nagar, is seen uttering the misogynistic remarks.

“It is regrettable that officials throughout the nation are making sexist and misogynistic statements, particularly those from the INDI group. About 40 years ago, Lalu (Prasad Yadav) made similar statements. “I think people should teach them a lesson that such people, let alone leaders, are unacceptable in society,” Rekha Sharma told ANI, in reference to the individuals who call themselves leaders.

Sharma said that such individuals have to be “thrown out of the system” and urged the Aam Aadmi Party to take strong action against its party MLA.

“I’ll now make the case to the AAP leader that individuals like this have to be removed from the system. It is regrettable that many politicians, including in Maharashtra, have been disparaging female candidates. “People need to choose leaders who value women now,” Rekha Sharma said.

In addition, Swati Maliwal, the former chairperson of the Delhi Commission of Women, mocked the AAP MLA for making “anti-women statements” and urged Arvind Kejriwal to take swift action against the lawmaker.

“We will make the roads like Hema Malini’s cheeks,” declares Naresh Balyan, the MLA for Uttam Nagar in Delhi! It is insufficient to denounce this anti-women stance. The roads in Uttam Nagar are in poor shape because this guy has been sleeping for the full 10 years! He is only displaying his weak thinking by refusing to work even today. There is no place in society for such a petty mindset that views women as things.

In a post on X, Swati Maliwal said, “@ArvindKejriwal ji is urged to act immediately against this individual with anti-women views.”