The Congress today demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for his "insulting" reference to Renuka Chowdhury, while the MP said she would file a privilege motion against Union minister Kiren Rijiju for posting on Twitter a video of Narendra Modi's comments about her.
"This is highly objectionable and I am going to file for privilege," she told reporters here today, after Rijiju posted the video.
Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said at a party briefing here that Modi's remark yesterday was condemnable and he should apologise for it.
He said the prime minister had crossed the line of political discourse with his language and the "outrageous" reference.
"A women Parliamentarian (was) laughing at his language of claims," he said, referring to Chowdhury's laughter when Modi said in the Rajya Sabha that the BJP-led government in 1998 had mooted the idea of Aadhaar.
"What was alluded to is shameful. We condemn it. He should apologise," he told reporters.
Sharma said one of his ministers had posted something "highly objectionable" on social media and questioned why the prime minister was silent about it.
"The prime minister is silent on that, which is again not only obnoxious, outrageous but condemnable. The minister is silent, the government is silent. Through you I am asking the minister what he had to say. Women security does not come only by saying words like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', as all this sounds like hollow talk," he said.
Sharma said many members did not get the reference of the prime minister's remarks as they did not watch television serials.
"Members did not connect what he referred to when he said what he should not have said to our colleague, Renuka Chowdhury. There are many people who had not watched that serial but this prime minister does not believe in scientific facts but believes in fiction and mythology (so) he must have watched it multiple times," he said.
Earlier Rijiju had tweeted, "Despite such vexatious laugh by Renuka...ji PM Narendra Modi ji didn't get irritated."
He also posted the video of the prime minister's remarks.
"The Congress says it's a breach of privilege! Rajya Sabha Chairman remarked that such behaviour is unbecoming. I'm only referring to how PM didn't get annoyed," Rijiju said on the Congress charge in another tweet.
The Congress had protested outside Parliament and also raised the issue inside the Rajya Sabha during zero hour, after which the proceedings were disrupted.
The All India Mahila Congress said Modi should apologise to the nation and to Chowdhury for his "Ramayana" comment.
Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said the remark "belittled" the office of the prime minister and was an "insult to every woman in the country".
After Modi's reference to Aadhaar in Parliament, Chowdhury had burst into a guffaw, drawing the ire of House chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.
"If you have some problem, go to a doctor, please," Naidu told Chowdhury testily.
Smiling broadly, Modi requested Naidu not to restrain the Congress MP.
"It is for the first time after the 'Ramayana' serial that we have had the good fortune of hearing such laughter today," Modi said without elaborating, but apparently hinting at a negative character in the epic serial.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
