AG threat to Kaieteur News…Nandlall was uncouth, obnoxious and offensive – PPP MP
- “One can only hope that the sentiments expressed in his apology are true but we have to wait, watch and see.” Even though it seems like the political camaraderie in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration
PPP MP, Dr, Vindhya Persaud
overrides the innate desire to command respect for fellow women, another female government official has commented on the Attorney General’s disregard for women. PPP Member of Parliament, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, has noted her dissatisfaction with the comments made by Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, during a recorded conversation with a senior Kaieteur News reporter. Nandlall was heard saying that there are plans afoot to kill “innocent people” working at Kaieteur News in reaction to the many exposing stories the paper has been carrying. He was also heard admitting that he used taxpayers’ money for personal reasons. The Attorney General, in the recording referred to a female Kaieteur News reporter as a “lil thing” and advocated that his uncle, Kamal Mangal got an opportunity to “f**K de girl.” In an invited comment, Dr. Persaud, has made staunch interventions on the decline of public morality in the past. She said that she found Nandlall’s remarks to be extremely uncouth. She also sits at the head of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha. “Those sentiments should have never been expressed let alone be made so that the public could hear it.” Dr. Persaud said that whether she sits in the religious or political world she see things the same. The Member of Parliament said, “We as women have been fighting for some time to ensure that we are not seen as objects and I think that his (Nandlall’s) comments in that regard were just absolutely obnoxious.” She added, “One can only hope that the sentiments he expressed in his apology are true but we have to wait, watch
Embattled Attorney General, Anil Nandlall
and see.” Persaud said that she has not seen Nandlall in a while but wants to and will let him know that she found his remarks to be very offensive to women. Asked if she feels comfortable with him as a political colleague in Parliament, Dr. Persaud declined to comment. She said, “I would not comment on that at this point but it (Nandlall’s remarks) was really obnoxious. I hope he meant every word of his apology.” Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, was the first Government official to comment on the immorality of the utterances made by Nandlall in the recorded conversation. Manickchand, who was conferred an Honorary Doctoral Degree by Lesley University for her outstanding work in advocating for social justice and gender equality, had told Kaieteur News, “What Nandlall said was crude and disrespectful and flies in the face of the environment that we (the government) are trying to establish and foster in Guyana.” The Minister had said that the environment is one in which women should be treated as equals and celebrated for their worth in the development of Guyana and “not seen as chattel for men to use.” Manickchand had said, too, that she was shocked at the things Nandlall said and noted that she expressed to him how offended and disappointed she was at his remarks. The Education Minister said that she expects her colleague to do some soul searching. She had claimed that Nandlall was “deeply remorseful and apologetic”.