Congress MP files privilege notice against Smriti Irani for her statement on Rahul's 'rape in India' remark

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday submitted a breach of privilege notice against Union minister Smriti Irani for her statement against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha last week.

In a letter to Lok Sabha secretary general Snehlata Srivastava, Tagore said that Irani had "knowingly and intentionally" misled the Parliament with her statement that Gandhi had given a "clarion call to rape women in India in his speech during an election rally."

"The Minister's (Irani's) assertions on the floor of this House are absolutely false," the letter read. "The Honourable Member has willfully misled not only Members of the House, but also the entire nation."

"The Minister had claimed that Rahul Gandhi has given a clarion call to rape women in India in his speech during an election rally on December 12th. The Minister has knowingly and intentionally misled the Parliament by falsely attributing a statement to Rahul Gandhi," it added.

Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand last week, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Make in India' but nowadays all one can see is 'Rape in India'.

"Narendra Modi had said 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'Rape in India'. In Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi's MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word," he had said.

Tagore said that Gandhi, through his remark, was merely pointing out the increasing violence against the women in the country and the failure of the government to prevent it.

Gandhi's remark had created an uproar in both houses of the Parliament on December 13, and the BJP had demanded an apology from the Congress leader over the same.