Rahul misbehaved with me: Woman MP

BJP’s Nagaland MP Phangnon Konyak on Thursday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for protection, alleging that Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi came too close to her for comfort when she was protesting with colleagues against Congress’ insults of Dr BR Ambedkar at Parliament’s Makar Dwar.

“I belong to the ST community of Nagaland and I am a lady member. My dignity and self-esteem has been deeply hurt by Rahul. Therefore I seek your protection,” wrote Konyak, member of the panel of vice-chairpersons of the Upper House.

The Congress denied the charges with its MP Hibi Eden writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla saying Konyak’s allegations were “entirely fabricated and devoid of facts and is a malicious attempt at belittling the integrity of the Leader of Opposition”. Eden claimed he was with Rahul during the entire length of time when the MPs of the two parties were protesting and jostling with each other in the morning.

In her letter, Konyak alleged: “He misbehaved with me in a loud voice and his physical proximity to me was so close that I, being a lady member, felt extremely uncomfortable. I stepped aside with a heavy heart,” she wrote.

Konyak repeated her charge in the House attracting a sharp reaction from women MPs of Opposition parties.

Jaya Bachchan of Samajwadi Party alleged that Konyak was “lying”. Dhankhar said he was looking into Konyak’s complaint. “She was in tears,” he noted.