Women MPs see red over Rahul’s flying kiss in House, press for action

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday (August 9) voiced outrage after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blew a flying kiss in the Lok Sabha, calling him a misogynist, while BJP women MPs sought “stringent action” against him.

Irani, who spoke during the no-confidence debate against the government, accused Gandhi of making “an indecent gesture” and said: “Only a misogynistic man can give a flying kiss to parliament which seats female MPs.

“Such indecent act has not been witnessed by the House ever before. The entire country has seen the culture of the (Gandhi) family.”

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BJP women parliamentarians later met Speaker Om Birla and demanded “stringent action” against Gandhi.

More than 20 women parliamentarians alleged that Gandhi made the “inappropriate gesture” towards Irani when she was speaking.

The women and child development minister spoke after Gandhi, who alleged that the government’s politics had “murdered Bharat Mata” in Manipur and termed members of the ruling BJP “traitors”.

NDA women MPs write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding strict action against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleging him of making inappropriate gesture towards BJP MP Smriti Irani and displaying indecent behaviour in the House. pic.twitter.com/E1FD3X2hZC

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2023

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The Congress leader also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting ethnic violence-hit Manipur and alleged that Modi does not consider the state to be a part of India.

Gandhi, while leaving the House after participating in the debate, was booed at by the treasury benches. He then turned around and a blew a flying kiss.

BJP MP and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, one of the signatories to the complaint, said after “blowing a flying kiss towards Smriti Irani and all women members, he went away”.

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“This is totally misbehaviour of the member. This is inappropriate and indecent behaviour of a member,” she said.

Irani later said: “Never before has the misogynistic behaviour of a man been so visible in parliament as what was been done by Rahul Gandhi today.

“We have heard that such indecent gestures are made on roads, we did not know misogyny is one of the traits of the Gandhi family,” she said.

(With agency inputs)