Samajwadi Party and BJP members today sparred in the Lok Sabha over crime against women in Uttar Pradesh when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple was speaking on the issue of atrocities against women and children.
Participating in a discussion on need to bring a strong legislation to check atrocities against women and children, Dimple Yadav (SP) referred to crimes against women and children in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, prompting a woman member from BJP to ask her about the crime rate in UP ruled by Samajwadi Party.
As Yadav asked the BJP member to address the Chair and allow her to speak, her brother-in-law and fellow SP member Dharmendra Yadav rose to her defence.
Yadav said there should be no underreporting of cases against women and children. She also referred to a helpline started by the UP government for women.
Anurag Thakur (BJP) said the helpline was not functional, triggering a verbal spat between the two SP members and BJP benches.
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was not present.
As Yadav spoke in English, some BJP members reminded her that the SP supremo was a supporter of Hindi and she should also speak in Hindi.
It was Dimple Yadav's maiden speech in the 16th Lok Sabha.
