“What About Your MP?” Mahua Moitra Attacks Smriti Irani On ‘Flying Kiss’ Row

New Delhi:

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra today attacked Union Minister Smriti Irani for talking “about some flying kiss” but not saying a word when a BJP MP was accused of sexual harassment by wrestlers.

The statement was a reference to Ms Irani raising the issue of Rahul Gandhi’s alleged flying kiss in Parliament after his speech during the no-confidence debate yesterday. The minister had expressed outrage and said that the House had never witnessed such an “indecent act”. 

Women BJP MPs had also demanded action and complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that Mr Gandhi had insulted women with his “indecent gesture”.

Without naming BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Ms Moitra told reporters, “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?” 

Ms Irani had said yesterday, “Never before has the misogynistic behaviour of a man been so visible in parliament. When the House of the people – where laws are made to protect the dignity of women – during the course of a session stands witness to a man’s misogyny, my question is should he be brought to task?”

The Congress had countered that Mr Gandhi was gesturing towards slogan-shouting BJP MPs. “Rahul Gandhi gestured towards the treasury benches as he was leaving with a flying kiss as he had called them brothers and sisters. He did not direct it towards any particular minister or MP, and not at all towards Smriti Irani,” a Congress leader said.