Some women MPs asked him to leave the house
Jeevitha Rajasekhar (Photo: DC/File)
New Delhi: Amidst the din, Hukum Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, responded to the protests against TD MP Murali Mohan’s comments by saying, “I entirely agree with you. This should not have happened.” However, as the protests continued, Mr Singh urged angry members to take their seats while assuring them, “I will look into it. It is a very serious matter. I entirely agree with you.” Sushmita Dev was then heard saying, “He should be asked to leave the House, it (remarks) should be expunged.”
A little later, Ms Dev was heard saying that Mr Maganti should be suspended from the House. Asked about his remarks, Mr Maganti later told reporters “If they feel it is bad, then I don’t mind withdrawing (my statement). It they are disturbed by the statement, I will apologise.”
Mr Maganti’s remarks weren’t the only controversial ones made on the floor of the Lok Sabha this afternoon. Ranjeet Ranjan of the Congress demanded that prostitution in cities be legalised as is the case in several other countries. Explaining the logic behind her demand, she said that sex-workers here neither have access to health facilities nor money as it is taken away by the middle-men. The police too has to be bribed by them. “ So why not legalise it?” she asked.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi too was once again active in the House, joining other party MPs in urging the Chair to allow Ms Ranjan to speak beyond the time allotted to her.
Yet another woman MP, Geetha Kothapalli of the YSR Congress, who too has been elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time, drew the attention of the House to the fact that she has had to face both derogatory remarks and defamation at the hands of the local media.
“Very vulgar comments have been carried about me in the social media,” said Ms Kothapalli while speaking during the debate. She noted that when she herself has had to face such problems, the plight of other women could be well imagined.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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