NEW DELHI: Sparks flew in the Lok Sabha after it was adjourned at noon on Thursday as Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani’s were locked in a verbal duel over the distasteful 'Rashtrapatni' remark made by Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The Congress claimed Sonia was verbally assaulted and faced physical intimidation from BJP members led by Irani after the former walked across to the treasury benches to ask another BJP member Rama Devi why she (Sonia) was being targeted.
Chowdhury had termed President Draupadi Murmu as Rashtrapatni during a protest, which led to a war of words in the House, with the ruling party demanded an apology.
The matter is expected to rock Parliament on Friday as well, as Congress MPs intend to take it up with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the BJP’s apology.
Around 25 Congress MPs have written to Birla demanding that it be referred to the Privileges Committee. It was Irani who first raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the Congress was anti-women and anti-tribal.
Amid BJP slogans of “Sonia Gandhi maafi mango”, the Congress chief walked up to Devi and asked why she was being dragged into it.
While Sonia was talking to Devi, Irani intervened.
Initially, the Congress chief tried to ignore her but when BJP MPs started sloganeering, Sonia was seen talking to Irani angrily.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman later said Sonia told Irani, “You don’t talk to me.”
Irani, according to the Congress, retorted, “You don’t know me, who I am.”
NCP and Trinamool members then escorted Sonia away. For his part, Chowdury has apologised. He has sought time with President Murmu to apologise in person as well.
Irani was seen gesturing towards Gandhi and raising slogans 'maafi mango' (apologise) along with a few women members of the BJP as the Congress president continued her chat with Rama Devi, the Lok Sabha member from Sheohar in Bihar.
Seeing Gandhi surrounded by sloganeering BJP members, NCP member Supriya Sule and Trinamool member Aparupa Poddar stepped forward to escort Gandhi away, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi tried to calm the treasury benches.
An ugly war of words broke out between the BJP and the opposition as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman alleged that Gandhi had spoken in a "threatening tone" to a BJP member, an apparent reference to Irani.
Later, Rama Devi told the media that Gandhi sought to know why her name was dragged into the issue.
"What is my fault," Gandhi asked Rama Devi.
Rama Devi, the BJP member from Sheohar in Bihar, said she told Gandhi that her fault was that she had selected Chowdhury as the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha.
As the BJP stepped up heat on Gandhi, leaders across the opposition spectrum rallied behind the Congress president claiming that she was "encircled, heckled pack-wolf style" by the BJP members.
"Today one of the most senior leaders of India who is both an elderly lady, recovering from Covid was attacked. She was subject to insults by one Union Minister and was on the verge of being pushed and injured by the BJP MPs," Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said.
"Was in Lok Sabha when (a) 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," Trinamool Congress member Mahaua Moitra said.
Sule and Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi also spoke in support of Gandhi.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding action against Irani.
With Chowdhury's remarks dominating the political discourse, BJP women members were seated in the front rows in the Lok Sabha as they led the protests in the House against the Congress leader in the lower house.
Sitharaman claimed that Gandhi told BJP members "you don't talk to me", when they sought to know what was the issue being discussed.
"Instead of tendering an apology, she is misleading by claiming that Adhir Chowdhury has already apologised. Instead of an apology, she is resorting to threats," Sitharaman said referring to the incident in the Lok Sabha chamber.
Hitting back, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed Irani's behaviour as "outrageous".
"Atrocious and outrageous behaviour by Union Minister Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha today! But will she be pulled up by the Speaker? Are rules only meant for the Opposition," AICC general secretary Ramesh said on Twitter.
Former union minister Milind Deora said he had never seen Gandhi being rude or impolite, even when provoked.
"This is not the first time that she has been targeted personally and of late, unjustly, both inside & outside Parliament. She has and will always endure," Deora said on Twitter.
Several non-Congress Opposition leaders Thursday rallied behind Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who was involved in a face-off with Union minister Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha, with the TMC's Mahua Moitra saying the 75-year-old leader was "encircled and heckled pack-wolf style".
As the Lok Sabha adjourned soon after 12 noon, Gandhi walked across to the Treasury benches and sought to know from BJP member Rama Devi why she was dragged into the issue -- the BJP has demanded an apology from Gandhi over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury referring to President Droupadi Murmu as 'rashtrapatni'.
Irani stepped in and was seen gesturing towards Gandhi and apparently protesting Chowdhury's remark.
Gandhi at first tried to ignore Irani's protestations, but was soon seen gesturing towards the minister and speaking angrily.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule said unfortunate scenes were witnessed in the Lok Sabha.
"Was shocked to hear unnecessary sloganeering against Mrs Gandhi after house was adjourned. We all should take responsibility of the house and maintain its dignity and decorum," Sule said.
In a tweet, Moitra said, "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 and false version in press," the Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar in West Bengal said.
Earlier, in another tweet, Moitra said, "All rules in Lok Sabha always only for Opposition. Today as soon as LS started before Hon'ble Speaker could even say 'Baithiye' mic was hijacked by BJP for 10 minute tirade. Different strokes for different folks."
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also referred to the incident involving Sonia Gandhi and said "this is shameful and bully behaviour of BJP MPs".
"Has to be condemned by one and all, this hooliganism that was led by a hysterical minister who herself is facing charges of illegal operations in Goa, besides fake education affidavits should be called out," she said.
Meanwhile, BSP leader Danish Ali attacked Irani for her remarks in Lok Sabha and claimed that she took the name of President Droupadi Murmu in a "objectionable" manner.
"I strongly demand an unconditional apology from Smriti Irani ji for disrespecting Hon'ble President of India while calling her name on the floor of the House, in an inappropriate and objectionable manner," he said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that Gandhi told a BJP member not to talk to her.
However, the Union minister did not name any BJP leader.
NCP member Sule and Trinamool member Aparupa Poddar were seen escorting the Congress president away from the Treasury benches as BJP members flocked around Rama Devi and Gandhi.
The Congress has accused BJP MPs of subjecting Gandhi to "brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation", and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(With PTI Inputs)