Pralhad Joshi submits notice to LS Speaker seeking action against Cong MPs for 'misconduct' with Smriti Ir

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla under Rule 374 seeking action against the two Congress MPs for their alleged misconduct with Union Minister Smriti Ir in the House today, sources said.

The minister raised the matter of alleged misbehaviour after the House met at 1.30 pm following an adjournment earlier. He said that it was wrong to come in front of a woman MP in a 'threatening position.'

Joshi and other BJP members for strict action against Congress members T N Prathapan and Dean Kuriakose for allegedly "threatening" Ir while she was responding to concerns in the House on the incident of setting ablaze Unnao rape victim.

"She was expressing her opinion. The behaviour is most uncalled for. Call the two members. They should apologise," Joshi said.

Earlier, Ir had said that she was 'saddened' with the alleged misbehaviour of two Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha after she spoke on an attack on a rape survivor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Ir said, "Today, I had a Congress MP chastising me for, he said, I spoke aggressively. In the House, some male MPs came towards me rolling up their sleeves."

"After that, a youth MP said why did Smriti even speak? I am saddened. If speaking is a crime since I am a BJP member, I want to see in Parliament on Monday how is the opposition going to punish me further for speaking in the interest of women," she said.

Meenakshi Lekhi, who was in the Chair, asked Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to talk to the party MPs regarding the apology and adjourned the House till 2.30 pm.

Ir accused the opposition parties of being quiet "when the rape was used as a political weapon" in West Bengal panchayat elections.

( With inputs from ANI )