‘Unko Ladkiyon Ki Kami Hai Kya?’: Congress MLA Defends Rahul Gandhi Amid Flying Kiss Row
Amid a row over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘flying kiss’ to female parliamentarians after concluding his speech in Lok Sabha, Bihar Congress MLA Neetu Singh has now defended fellow party leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has “no dearth of women and why would he blow a kiss to a 50-yar-old woman.” A row began after Nitu Singh was seen saying in a viral video, “Our Rahul Gandhi does not have any dearth of women. If he had to give a flying kiss, he would have given it to a younger woman. Why will he give a flying kiss to an old woman? All these allegations are baseless.” With the video becoming viral, the ruling BJP has raised objections to Neetu Singh’s statement.
Rahul Gandhi Under Fire Over Flying Kiss
Rahul Gandhi had caused an uproar in the lower House on Wednesday by blowing a kiss in the Parliament in the presence of over 20 female MPs, who later signed and send a letter to Speaker Om Birla, demanding action against the Congress MP from Wayanad.
In their complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the women MPs stated that Rahul Gandhi behaved in an “indecent manner” which not only “insulted the dignity of women members in the House, but also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this august House”. Objecting to his statement, BJP MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani called him a “misogynist” and stated that the House had never witnessed such an “indecent act”.
Sharing the video, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “Anti-women Congress can even defend Rahul’s misdemeanours inside the House.”
Other BJP leaders too shared the CCTV footage of the action but it could not be established whether Rahul Gandhi indeed blew a flying kiss inside the House. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said “it was an affectionate gesture” and not aimed at women parliamentarians only.
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra took a jibe at Smriti Irani and asked why she was silent on Brij Bhushan. “When a BJP MP was accused of harassment and molestation by our champion wrestlers, we did not hear one word out of the women and child development minister and now she is talking about some flying kiss, where are your priorities, madam.”
“Union WCD minister is very angry. But, I cannot understand where that anger goes away when, just two rows (in Parliament) behind her, a person called Brij Bhushan Singh sits,” Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal said.
The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
