New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Sunday took a veiled dig at Union minister Smriti Irani as she said that there was an "Ominous silence from Drama Bahu brigade" over the rape allegation against Gujarat Minister Mahmedavad Arjunsinh Chauhan. She also sought for Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to hand the microphone to the opposition so that they can ask PM Modi "to Maafi Maango (apologise)".
"Lady raped & confined by BJP Guj Minister Arjunsinh for 5 yrs. Expecting Hon’ble @ombirlakota to hand mic to Oppn as SOON as he enters LS on Monday so we can ask PMji to Maafi Maango. Equality before law, Sir! Ominous silence from Drama Bahu brigade," the Krishnanagar MP wrote.
The comment is apparently made in reference to Smriti Irani who as an actress shot to fame with her television serial 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'.
The jibe also comes after a ruckus in the Lok Sabha when Union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday raised the issue of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's 'rashtrapatni' remark and sought an apology from the Congress party and its interim president Sonia Gandhi.
While the BJP accused Sonia Gandhi of being rude to Smriti Irani, the Congress alleged that Smriti Irani tried to corner their party chief when she was speaking to BJP MP Rama Devi.
Mahua Moitra had also tweeted in support of Sonia Gandhi as she wrote: "Was in Lok Sabha when 75 year old lady senior leader encircled & heckled pack-wolf style when all she did was walk over & speak (masked) to another senior lady panel chairperson. Disgusted to read BJP lies & false version in press."
As for the rape charge against the Gujarat minister, TMC MP Derek O'Brien previously shared a tweet by his party's official handle about the allegation and wrote: "Dear PM @narendramodi and @AmitShah Look forward to seeing you both Monday morning #ParliamentMonsoonSession. Since you are ever so eager to raise issues of Oppn disrespecting #women All of us will be waiting. 11am Monday. See u thenđ"
"P.S. If 56 inch can’t come, send #2," he added in a strong-worded tweet.
Rape Charge Against Gujarat Minister Arjinsinh Chauhan
According to news agency IANS, Gujarat's Kheda police is investigating against state's Rural Development Minister and BJP MLA from Mahmedavad Arjunsinh Chauhan who is accused of rape and illegal confinement of a woman.
Kheda District Superintendent of Police Divy Mishra told IANS, "We have received an application from a person living in Haldarvas village of the Mehmedabad taluka. Police will first conduct preliminary inquiry into allegations of rape and illegal confinement of applicant's wife. If allegations are found true, criminal procedure will be followed."
On Wednesday, a former Sarpanch of Haldarvas village submitted an application to the DSP.
Wishing anonymity, the former sarpanch alleged that "sitting rural development minister Arjunsinh Chauhan had illegally confined his wife and raped her."
He said, "My wife came into contact with Arjunsinh, when the latter was BJP's district committee president in 2015. He had nominated my wife as Taluka Panchayat candidate and she got elected. Between 2016 and 2021, she was called by Arjusinh at various places in the name of meetings and raped. The then district president was even forcing her to sleep with other influential people."
"My wife told me how she was exploited during corona pandemic. Arjunsinh illegally confined her at his place and exploited her. When I asked my wife to file a criminal complaint against Chauhan, she refused, reasoning he is a powerful person and could harm our family," IANS quoted the former sarpanch as claiming.
He informed that his wife left home two months ago and is living in another village
(With Agency Inputs)
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