In the midst of protests by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, demanding the sacking of the Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani accused the Opposition of not allowing a debate on nutritional issues related to women and children, and pointed to a controversial remark on rape made by Congress MLA from Karnataka, Ramesh Kumar.
As the Lok Sabha convened on Friday morning, Opposition MPs rushed to the Well of the House with placards, and shouted slogans demanding Mr. Mishra’s sacking over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
Ms. Irani, who was taking questions related to her Ministry during Question Hour at this time, called out Opposition MPs over their protest. She said that they needed to look to their own legislators who made unseemly remarks on women, before speaking of justice for women and children.
Also read: BJP slams Karnataka Congress MLA’s ‘rape’ statement
Mr. Ramesh, a former Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly, on Thursday had made a controversial remark pertaining to rape and women on the floor of that House.
“Those gentlemen belong, especially, to a particular party. One of their representatives in Karnataka, yesterday [Thursday] said and made remarks about women which needs to be condemned by every public representative…If you truly believe in the cause of women, first stand here and denounce that legislator who says that if you are raped as a woman in this country, you should enjoy it…Those men, who stand in attendance today should go back to your political organisation and first bring to justice such a man. Then we will see who speaks for the women and children in this country,” Ms. Irani said.
The House did not continue for much longer after that and was adjourned till 2 p.m., to then finally be adjourned for the day.
