New Delhi: Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday recalled the horrors of the 1984 riots to the 1975 Emergency and the unrest in Kashmir during the Congress rule as she countered Rahul Gandhi’s charges against the Narendra Modi government over the ongoing violence in Manipur.
In his speech while opening the debate on no-confidence motion on Day 2 in the Lok Sabha, Rahul accused the BJP of murdering India in Manipur and then trying to set Haryana on fire.
The no-confidence motion debate in Parliament took a new turn when the WCD minister alleged that Rahul blew a flying kiss while leaving Parliament after his speech on the no-confidence motion.
Earlier, Irani began her speech by taking a swipe at the Congress over the opposition bloc’s name, INDIA.
“You aren’t India because India isn’t corrupt. India believes in merit, not dynasty. Today of all the days, people like you need to remember what was told to the British — Quit India. Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India. Merit now finds a place in India,” she said, referring to the 81st Anniversary of the historic Quit India Movement. “They ran away from the House when they saw me.”
“For the first time in the House, a statement was made against Bharat Mata, and Congress was laughing and clapping. The nation won’t forgive Congress. Manipur is an integral part of India and shall never be divided,” the WCD minister said.
“A member of his alliance said in Tamil Nadu that India only means north India. If he has the courage, Rahul Gandhi should comment on this…Another Congress leader said there should be a referendum on Kashmir… Was the statement given as per the order of the Congress leadership that a leader talked about the referendum in Kashmir?” she asked.
In her speech, the minister also spoke about the excesses of the Emergency and the 1984 riots, saying the “party’s history is smeared in blood”.
Irani further raked up the troubled history of Kashmir when she referred to the atrocities faced by the Kashmiri Pandits.
“A Kashmiri Pandit named Girija Tikku was gangraped and brutally murdered in Kashmir. When this was shown in a movie, some Congress leaders called it propaganda. The same party leaders are talking about Manipur today,” she said.
While mentioning Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Union minister lashed out at the Congress leader for his statement on repealing Article 370.
“It was mentioned in the House today that he undertook a yatra and assured that they will reinstate Article 370 if it is up to them… I would like to tell the person who has run away from the House that neither will Article 370 be reinstated in the country nor will those who threaten Kashmiri Pandits with ‘Ralib Galib Chalib’ be spared,” she said.
“The opposition wants Article 370 back. They should remember one thing. Article 370 will never return to Kashmir. None of the Kashmiri Pandits will have to suffer genocide.”
The Amethi MP then went on to claim that the Congress party not only inducted members of the ‘Tukdae-Tukdae gang’ but Rahul also sought cooperation from anti-India forces to defeat Modi.
“He went outside the country…Rahul Gandhi said, ‘There is going to be a mass upsurge, now the question is how can the Opposition effectively use the upsurge to change politics’. He then said, ‘Kerosene has spread across the country, all we need is a matchstick’. I would like to ask today, where did Rahul Gandhi go to look for the matchsticks? America? He had programmes there with Tanzeem Ansari…He had a meeting with Minhaj Khan who raises voice against India…,” she said. “The entire crusade against the government is to keep the interest of the (Congress first) family.”
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The ‘flying kiss’ row
Irani then caught the opposition ranks by surprise as she lashed out at Rahul for his “indecent gesture” while leaving the House to leave for poll-bound Rajasthan.
“The person who spoke before me… an indecent gesture was made… only a misogynistic man can give a flying kiss to Parliament which seats female Members of Parliament…Such indecent act has not been witnessed by the House ever,” she said.
Outside Parliament, Irani took Rahul to task for his “misogyny”. “Never before has the misogynistic behaviour of a man been so visible in Parliament. When the House of the people — where laws are made to protect the dignity of women — during the course of a session stands witness to a man’s misogyny, my question is should he be brought to task?” she told the waiting crowd of mediapersons.
Later, Union minister Shobha Karandlaje and other women MPs of the BJP lodged a formal complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Rahul, accusing the Gandhi scion of “insulting women MPs”. The group also demanded strict action against Rahul for “inappropriate gestures towards Smriti Irani while she was addressing the House”.
As the allegations against Rahul made news, Congress MPs came out to defend the Wayanad MP. Congress MP Manickram Tagore advised Irani to get rid of “Rahul phobia”. “Smriti Irani is consumed by Rahul phobia, and she should try to get rid of it,” the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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