Congress leader's Sita remarks trigger uproar in LS

A remark by Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury that "Sita is being burnt" while plans are afoot to build a Ram temple created an uproar in the House on Friday, with union minister Smriti Irani hitting back at the opposition for politicising and communalising the issue.

Raising the issue of setting afire of a rape survivor in Uttar Praesh's Unnao during Zero Hour, Chowdhury said while on the one hand plans are afoot to build a Ram temple (in Ayodhya), on the other hand Sita is being burnt.

He said while there are talks to make Uttar Pradesh a Uttam Pradesh (best state), it is become "Adharm Pradesh" (broadly land of lawlessness).

Intervening, Irani said it was unfortunate that incidents of rape and killing of women are being communalised and politicised.

She said the opposition members are not referring to a similar case in Malda in West Bengal.

"Yes, setting afire a woman is condemnable, yes, the rape and killing of a woman is inhuman, but do not politicise the issue. No one has ever communalised the issue in this House," she said.

T N Prathapan of the Congress came to the aisle near the Well and shouted something. He was pulled back by some Congress and Nationalist Congress Party members.

Later, the government on Friday sought an apology from two Lok Sabha members of the Congress for their "threatening position" towards Union Minister Smriti Irani, when she was speaking on the Unnao rape issue in the House.

"This is the most condemnable behaviour. They came in a threatening position when she was speaking. She is a lady member of the house. It is most uncalled and they should apologise," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in the House when it assembled after lunch break.

Meenakshi Lekhi, who was in the Chair, told Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to ask his party MPs to come to the House and seek an apology.

Ruling BJP members accused Congress MPs Dean Kuriakose and TN Prathapan of charging towards Irani when she was speaking in the House.

BJP's Sangeeta Singh Deo described it as a "black day in the temple of democracy."

Sangeeta said Irani did not make any derogatory and inflammatory remarks.