Rahul Gandhi’s Flying Kiss Controversy
Omkar Dattatray
The congress leader and scion of Gandhi –Nehru dynasty ,Rahul Gandhi has been reinstated as the member of parliament(MP) after the Supreme Court has stayed his conviction by the Surat court .Only on the second day of Rahul’s reinstatement as the MP ,he has participated in the discussions on the non-confidence motion moved by the opposition INDIA. On 9th of August 2023,Rahul took part in the parliament proceedings and gave his version against the NDA government .Rahul has again demonstrated his non-seriousness as a parliamentarian when he gave a flying kiss to BJP ,MP’s while exiting from the Lok Sabha and it shows that he cares too hoots for discipline and decorum. The BJP,MP and union minister Simriti Irani has objected to the flaying kiss gesture of Rahul Gandhi and called Speaker to take action against the congress leader .It is not only Simriti Irani only but several other BJP,MP’s have also objected the flying kiss gesture of Rahul Gandhi and requested the chair to take action against Rahul Gandhi for his indiscipline and childish behavior .Thus a big controversy has erupted on the flying Kiss of Rahul Gandhi .It it not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has attracted limelight and on several occasions he had did such non-serious things in the Parliament for which he had to repent later .Rahul Gandhi is infamous for creating and enacting non-serious gestures .On some earlier occasions he has hugged the Prime minister Narendra Modi and on other occasions he had winked his eyes towards the BJP members .Sometimes a wink indicates a joke ,a secret ,or affection and it just means a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye .However today he has demonstrated the flying kiss gesture towards the BJP members of Parliament which attracted the attention of the MP’s mostly the women MP’s of the BJP .At the very outset we should know what the Flying Kiss actually is .The Flying Kiss also known as a blown Kiss ,is a gesture where one kisses their fingertips and then mimes blowing the kiss towards someone ,typically when bidding farewell .It serves as a way to express affection while parting someone. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ,who delivered his first speech in Lok Sabha today after being reinstated as an MP on Monday ,blew a flying Kiss at treasury benches while leaving .According to people who witnessed the moment when Rahul Gandhi was leaving the Lok Sabha premises after his no-trust motion speech ,some files fell down and he bended to take those papers ,the BJP,MP’s instead of helping him ,laughed at him .Union minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers welfare Shobha Karndlaje has filed a complaint with the speaker requesting him to take action against Rahul Gandhi. Smriti Irani calls Rahul Gandhi misogynist as he gives a flying kiss in Parliament .She said only a misogynistic man can give a flying kiss to women MP’s in Parliament. Union minister Smriti Irani and other BJP MP’s were up in arms after congress MP Rahul Gandhi allegedly blew a flying kiss to BJP MP’s. The moment which was not captured on camera ,happened when Rahul was walking out of the Lok Sabha premises after finishing his speech on no-confidence motion on Manipur .Without naming Rahul Gandhi ,Smiriti Irani said,’ ’Only a misogynistic man can gesture a flying kiss to female parliamentarians. It shows the Khandhan he comes from and what his family and party feel about women .It is believed that Rahul Gandhi blew a flying kiss while existing from parliament .Union minister Smriti Irani ,along with several BJP,MP’s voiced strong objection following an alleged flying kiss gesture made by Rahul Gandhi towards BJP ,MP’s in the Lok Sabha .Rahul Gandhi delivered his first speech at Lok Sabha on August 9, after being reinstated as an MP .However he did not remain in the house to listen to the response ,as he had a scheduled event in Rajasthan at 3PM.Upon departing the Lok Sabha ,he repeated a gesture reminiscent of his famous hug and wink during the previous no-confidence motion against the PM Modi government in 2018 .It is believed that Rahul Gandhi blew a flying kiss while exiting from the Lok Sabha .Smriti Irani ,along with several BJP,MP’s voiced their strong objection following an alleged flying kiss gesture made by congress MP Rahul Gandhi towards BJP MP’s in the Lok Sabha .Although the incident was not captured in camera ,it reportedly occurred as Rahul Gandhi was leaving the Lok Sabha premises after delivering his speech concerning the no-confidence motion on Manipur .Smriti Irani ,without directly mentioning Rahul Gandhi’s name ,denounced the act stating ,’’Only a misogynist man can exhibit the gesture of a flying kiss towards female parliamentarians .This action sheds light on the lineage he originates from and reflects the attitude his family and party hold towards women ’’Smriti Irani said that such a behavior had never been witnessed in the country’s parliament before.BJP has questioned the appropriateness of the behavior ,labeling it as ‘’chichora type behavior .’’This parliamentary episode has resonated across major platforms such as TIckTok ,Twitter ,Redddit ,Istagram ,Telegram ,You Tube and facebook .Amid the huge uproar in Lok Sabha over a flying Kiss by congress leader Rahul Gandhi ,sources from the party have said that party MP was gesturing towards treasury benches in general and that it was not directed towards any minister or MP in particular .’’Rahul Gandhi’s gesture towards the treasury benches as he was leaving with a flying kiss as he called them as brothers and sisters .He did not direct it towards any particular any member or MP and not at all towards union minister Smriti Irani ‘’a congress leader said .Mrs Irani ,who spoke during the debate on no-confidence motion against BJP government right after Mr Gandhi has alleged that the congress MP blew a flying kiss before leaving the house .’’The one who was given the chance to speak before displayed indecency before leaving .It is only a misogynistic man who can give a flying kiss to parliament which seats female members of parliament .Such undignified conduct has never before seen in parliament. ’’Ms Irani said .It should be noted that Rahul Gandhi made the flying kiss gesture as a means of love and affection while parting from the Lok sabha and Mrs Irani who is habitual of coming in limelight has blown the flying kiss of Rahul Gandhi out of context and has made a mountain out of mole hill .Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvadi hit out at BJP for creating a controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s alleged flying kiss in the Lok sabha .she said saffron party is so used to hatred that they cannot accept love .I was at the visitors’ gallery .I saw when he was leaving ,he did it as a gesture of affection .He did not say so or do it for just women .It was just a genuine gesture ,like he has called Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’’ Unfortunately flying kiss gesture of Rahul Gandhi soon erupted into a massive political controversy ,with the BJP calling it shameful and an insult to women .In brief it can be said that a simple gesture of flying kiss by Rahul Gandhi was blown out of proportion and the congress leader never meant it to be directed towards women BJP MP’s .Such flimsy things should not be allowed to snowball into a political controversy as it is against the interests of the country and parliament proceedings.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
