Rahul Gandhi’s speech on Wednesday, with its “desh-drohi” and “you have killed Bharat Mata in Manipur” flourishes, outraged the treasury benches, but what pushed them over the edge was a flying kiss he directed towards the House.
After he spoke on the No-Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha this afternoon, Rahul Gandhi waited for a few minutes while Union Minister Smriti Irani mounted a spirited counter-offensive. Then he got up to leave, turned around and blew a flying kiss in the general direction of the House. At the moment, no one seemed to mind very much. But soon afterwards, NDA MPs swung into action. A letter was dispatched, signed by women MPs belonging to the NDA, to the Speaker Om Birla, complaining about Rahul Gandhi’s “indecent” and “inappropriate” gesture.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi back in Lok Sabha
“I would like to draw your attention towards the incident in the House by Rahul Gandhi, MP 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, which has not only insulted the dignity of the women members in the House, it has also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this august House,” said the letter signed by women MPs of the NDA.
Smriti Irani called Gandhi a “misogynist”.
“I object to something. The one who was given the chance to speak before me displayed indecency before 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 has never before been seen in the Parliament of the country,” she said.
Also read: Was Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Flying Kiss’ misogynistic?
Outside the House, BJP members were beside themselves with rage.
“Flying kiss karte hain. Kya ho gaya hai Rahul Gandhi ko. Itni mahilayen baithi hui hain. Koi tameez nahin hain unko kya. Bahut peeda hui hai (A flying kiss. What is wrong with Rahul Gandhi. There are so many women around here. Doesn’t he have any etiquette? We are deeply pained),” exclaimed BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.