Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial suggestion of a 90-hour work week, accusing him of promoting a “new age slave driver” mentality.
Chaturvedi, taking to social platform X, criticized Subrahmanyan’s remarks, calling them not only misogynistic but also emblematic of a desire to exploit workers. She wrote, “Besides being misogynistic, this statement reeks of wanting to be the new age slave drivers of India.”
The controversy ignited after Subrahmanyan made the shocking demand during a public address, urging employees to work 90 hours a week for achieving greater success. In an undated video that has since gone viral, Subrahmanyan expressed regret over not being able to make people work on Sundays. He said, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays.”
His comments took an even more controversial turn when he made a crude remark about personal relationships. “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working,” Subrahmanyan said, causing further outrage.
In response to the backlash, L&T issued a statement clarifying Subrahmanyan’s comments, suggesting they were meant to emphasize the need for “extraordinary efforts” to achieve “extraordinary outcomes for the nation.”
