Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje and other BJP women MPs filed a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday against Rahul Gandhi over his "flying kiss" gesture in Parliament. The BJP MPs sought "stringent action" against Rahul Gandhi for behaving in an "indecent manner" and making "inappropriate gesture" towards Union Minister Smriti Irani.
"We demand stringent action against such behaviour by the member (Rahul Gandhi), which has not only insulted the dignity of women members in the House, it has also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this House," the complaint, signed by more than 20 women parliamentarians, said.
Speaking on the incident, Minister Karandlaje said Gandhi's behaviour was "unacceptable".
"This is the first time we have seen such behaviour from an MP in the House. He made a gesture of a flying kiss at women MPs in the House....It is unacceptable. We have complained to the Speaker to take action against him," Karandlaje said.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore said Smriti Irani was consumed by "Rahul phobia" and she should try to get rid of it.
The alleged incident happened when Rahul Gandhi was walking out of the Lok Sabha premises and Irani's speech was underway.
The incident was brought to light by Irani when she was speaking in Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion debate. Irani called the gesture an "undignified conduct" not seen ever before in Parliament of the country.
"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 was never before seen in Parliament of the country," Irani said.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, taking to X (formerly Twitter) called it a "shameful behaviour by Rahul Gandhi".
"Last time aankh maari. This time he blows a 'flying kiss'. Shameful behaviour by Rahul Gandhi vis a vis Smriti Irani ji. Is this not disgraceful and chichora type behaviour? Ironical he speaks about women issues," Poonawalla tweeted.