New Delhi: If it was Rahul Gandhi’s hug-and-wink gesture during the debate on the no-confidence motion that made headlines in 2018, an alleged ‘flying kiss’ by the Congress leader during the debate on the no-trust motion in Parliament Wednesday triggered a political row.
At least 21 women MPs of the BJP have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding stringent action against the newly-reinstated Wayanad MP for “indecent behaviour and inappropriate gesture” towards Union Minister Smriti Irani and other BJP MPs.
Irani, who spoke after Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha, said, “I object to something. The person who got an opportunity to speak before me displayed indecency while leaving. It is only a misogynistic man who can give a flying kiss to a Parliament which seats female members of Parliament. Such undignified conduct was never before seen in the Parliament of the country. It shows the khaandhaan he comes from, and what his family and party feel about women.”
Congress leader Srinivas BV posted a video of Rahul on social media platform X, saying that the MP was in fact facing the Speaker and not Smriti Irani, who was seated diagonally opposite him.
स्मृति ईरानी का झूठ बेनकाब.. 👇 pic.twitter.com/BakX5A1Vhj
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) August 9, 2023
The Congress called Irani’s remarks a tactic to “divert attention” from the Manipur violence issue.
“The only issue that matters to the country and the only issue that resonates in Parliament is the issue of Manipur, a state of India that has been burning for the last 98 days now, where women and children have suffered the most,” said Supriya Shrinate, chairperson of the Congress’s social media and digital platforms in its communications department.
She added: “The state of Manipur is being exposed not just by the Opposition but by BJP’s own MLAs who say this is state-sponsored violence. It is being exposed by the Governor too. Despite all this, we see Biren Singh continue as CM. They are talking about restoration of peace and law and order in Manipur, two days back, six more people were found dead.”
Shrinate further said that the BJP government “has completely failed the country”, adding: “Any other issue that is being spoken about is an issue to divert attention away from Manipur. This (flying kiss issue) is a tactic to divert attention. We stand with the people of Manipur and nothing will dilute or divert attention away from that.”
While participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, Rahul hit out at the Modi-led Union government and accused it of “not using the Army” to restore peace in the northeastern state.
Congress sources said that the MP, while leaving, was in general gesturing towards the treasury benches and it was not at all directed towards anyone in particular.
“While leaving the House, Rahul Gandhi gestured towards the treasury benches. The flying kiss was aimed at the treasury bench who are filled with hatred and animosity as a gesture of love. This is keeping in line with his thought process of spreading love. It wasn’t aimed at any minister, women MPs or Smriti Irani in particular. He’s known to have hugged the PM in the past in the same spirit,” said a party leader, not wanting to be named.
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‘Shameful behaviour’
Meanwhile, a number of BJP leaders took to Twitter and posted a video of Rahul’s ‘flying kiss’.
BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted a six-second video of the Congress leader, captioned: ‘Sansad me lafangai karte Rahul Gandhi…sharmnaak! (Rahul Gandhi’s hooliganism in Lok Sabha…shameful)”.
Absolutely shameful conduct by Rahul Gandhi, who blew a ‘flying kiss’ on his way out of the Parliament, gesturing towards a lady MP…
Absolutely sickening.
This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi has displayed such disgusting behaviour. Earlier he was seen winking and throwing… pic.twitter.com/8YhhZaWmob
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 9, 2023
“This is the first time we have seen such behaviour from an MP in the House. He made a gesture of a flying kiss at women MPs in the House…It is unacceptable. We have complained to the Speaker to take action against him,” Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje told reporters.
In their complaint against Rahul, lodged with Speaker Om Birla, women MPs stated: “The said member has behaved in an indecent manner and making inappropriate gesture towards Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister and Member of this House while she was addressing the House. We demand stringent action against such behaviour by the member, which has not only insulted the dignity of women members in the House, it has also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this august House (sic).”
Former minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also condemned the ‘flying kiss’ incident. “His (Rahul’s) behaviour was shameful. Is Parliament a place to give out flying kisses, where women legislators are also seated? He has no manners,” he told reporters.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: Agree there’s violence in Manipur. We are sad, but politics over it is shameful: Amit Shah