New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has sought suspension of Congress MPs TN Pathapan and Dean Kuriakose from the rest of the Lok Sabha session for alleged “misconduct” with Union Minister Smriti Irani in the House on Friday.
She was speaking on the Unnao rape survivor burnt by the gang-rape accused out on bail when the two MPs shouted at her and moved menacingly towards her from the House well, with one of them even folding shirt sleeve as if ready for the fight.
The ruling BJP members, led by Joshi, protested and forced adjournment of the House for the day. Joshi’s motion for the Congress MPs’ suspension is listed on Monday’s agenda for their misconduct in utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair.
The Opposition members were protesting in the House at the burning of the Unnao rape victim and extra-judicial killing of four accused of another rape and murder in police custody in Hyderabad when Smriti Irani intervened to refer to a similar incident at Malda in West Bengal.
“Yes, setting afire a woman is condemnable and inhuman, but do not politicise the issue. You were silent when rape was used in Bengal as a political weapon,” she affirmed when the two Congress MPs were seen trying to reach her front seat and what followed was a furore by the BJP MPs until the House was adjourned for the day.