After an acrimonious exchange in parliament between Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani over a Congress leader calling President Droupadi Murmu "Rashtrapatni", opposition MPs accused the BJP of "encircling and heckling" the Congress president.
When Lok Sabha was adjourned because of chaotic protests over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's "Rashtrapatni" comment, Sonia Gandhi walked across the house to speak to BJP MP Rama Devi. "Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had already apologised. What is my fault," the Congress president reportedly asked the MP. Smriti Irani reportedly cut in and other BJP MPs started shouting slogans.
Various accounts suggest Sonia Gandhi told Smriti Irani, "Don't talk to me." The Congress says Smriti Irani pointed her fingers at Sonia Gandhi and said: "How dare you, don't behave like this, this is not your party office..." And that Sonia Gandhi replied: "I am not speaking to you."
As BJP members gathered around Rama Devi and Sonia Gandhi, NCP's Supriya Sule and Trinamool MP Aparupa Poddar were seen escorting the Congress president away.
Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra was among the opposition MPs who witnessed the heated confrontation. She hit out at the BJP in her tweets.
"Was in Lok Sabha when 75-year-old lady senior leader encircled and heckled pack-wolf style when all she did was walk over and speak (masked) to another senior lady panel chairperson. "Disgusted to read BJP lies and false version in press," Ms Moitra posted.
The Congress has accused the BJP of subjecting Sonia Gandhi to "brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation", and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Smriti Irani.
Congress MP Geeta Koda said the Congress president "could have been injured" in that situation.
"The way those BJP MPs started heckling Sonia Gandhi...They said - Sonia Gandhi has spoken enough, now we will speak. This is how they behaved. Sonia Gandhi could have been injured. We somehow brought her out. I demand an apology from Smriti Irani and PM Modi," said the Congress leader.
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