Rahul Gandhi's 'Flying Kiss' Row: DCW Chief Asks Why No Action Against Brij Bhushan

Swati Maliwal, the head of the Delhi Commission for Women, responded strongly to Union Minister Smriti Irani's accusation against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Irani claimed that Gandhi had blown a "flying kiss" towards the booing treasury benches while leaving the Lok Sabha after his speech during the no-confidence motion debate on Wednesday.

Maliwal took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express her views, saying, "A supposed flying kiss thrown in the air ignited so much fire. A man named Brij Bhushan is sitting two rows back. The one who called Olympic wrestlers into the room and put his hand on their chest, put his hand on their waist and sexually assaulted them. Why don't you get angry at what he did?" This statement from Maliwal came amidst a growing political controversy over the Congress leader's gesture.

Maliwal was referring to the allegations of sexual harassment made against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, outgoing Chief of the Wrestling Federation of India and a Bharatiya Janata Party MP, by six prominent wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Bajranj Punia and Sakshi Malik.

Following his participation in the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi's flying kiss garnered strong reactions from the treasury benches. Smriti Irani referred to him as a misogynist, stating that the House had never witnessed such an "indecent act."

BJP women MPs met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding "stringent action" against Gandhi for his "inappropriate gesture."

In a complaint supported by over 20 women parliamentarians, it was alleged that Gandhi behaved in an "indecent manner" which not only "insulted the dignity of women members in the House but also brought disrepute and lowered the dignity of this august House."

In defense of Gandhi, the Congress asserted that he had never disrespected women and accused the BJP of making "indecent" accusations against him to divert attention from the Manipur violence debate.

Congress whip in Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, accused Smriti Irani of suffering from "Rahul-phobia" and urged her to overcome it.

Party General Secretary KC Venugopal highlighted that throughout the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the gesture was viewed as a symbol of human kindness and affection.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also defended Gandhi, explaining that she was present in the visitors' gallery and interpreted his action as a gesture of affection. She questioned the BJP's negative reaction, stating that they could not accept love.

Geeta Koda, a Congress MP from Jharkhand, affirmed that Gandhi had always shown respect towards women, and his conduct had been commendable.

In the context of the charges in the sexual harassment case, Brij Bhushan's counsel argued that hugging or touching a woman without a sexual intent is not an offense. The counsel also raised points related to jurisdiction and limitations in the matter, stating that the allegations were time-barred. The case is scheduled for further arguments on Thursday before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal.