Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made his first speech in the Lok Sabha after being reinstated as the MP. However, he did not stay put in the House to listen to the reply as he had a programme scheduled at 3pm in Rajasthan. Reminding of his famous hug and wink which took place during the last no-confidence motion against the PM Modi government in 2018, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made a similar gesture as he was exiting the Lok Sabha. While Union minister Smriti Irani started her statement following Rahul Gandhi’s speech on the no-confidence motion, Rahul Gandhi was believed to have blown a flying kiss on his way out.
Smriti Irani said, “The one who was given the chance to speak before me (referring to Gandhi), displayed indecency before leaving. It is only a misogynistic man who can give a flying kiss to a Parliament which seats female members in it. Such undignified conduct was never before seen in the Parliament of the country…”
Following the allegations made by the union minister, BJP women MPs have written a complaint against MP Gandhi to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
“I would like to draw you attention towards the incident in the House by Mr. Rahul Gandhi, MO from Wayanad, Kerala. 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 behavior by the Member, which has not only insulted the dignity women members in the House, it has also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this august House,” the letter reads.
Speaking soon after Gandhi concluded his speech on the no-confidence debate in the House, the BJP member, who is minister for women and child development, also spoke about Manipur saying that it is an integral part of India.
“I condemn the behaviour that was displayed. This is the first time that someone talked about the murder of India, and Congress leaders were thumping desks,” Irani said.
“Manipur is not divided, it is a part of this country. A member of his (opposition) 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 a referendum in Kashmir?” she said.
“You are not India because you define corruption in India, you define incompetence… You are not India,” the BJP MP said attacking the Congress.
Mentioning Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, she said, “I will not speak on joint pains… The valley that India has seen was soaked in blood, (but) when they went there, they were playing with snowballs. That was possible after Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi abrogated Article 370.”
“He said he went on a yatra and gave assurance that they will restore Article 370… Article 370 will never be restored,” Irani asserted.
She also recounted the horrors of the Emergency to attack Congress, saying the party’s history is smeared in blood. The BJP MP also raised the issues of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the unrest in Kashmir during Congress regimes at the Centre.
