NEW DELHI: Indignant over Rahul Gandhi pointing towards her and claiming that she was smiling when he was criticising the Modi government, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal asked the Congress president what he had “taken” before coming to Parliament.

“They call us Punjabis nashedi (drug addicts). So I also asked him with a smile ‘aaj aap kaunsa kar ke aaye hain?’ (what did you take today). He failed to read my gesture but only saw me smiling,” she told reporters outside Parliament.

After a brief adjournment during Rahul’s speech, the Congress chief resumed by saying he was congratulated by many members, including from the ruling party, and that one Akali Dal MP was smiling while he tore into the government.

Kaur objected to Rahul’s reference to her party and demanded that the Speaker grant her an opportunity to defend her party and seek clarification from the Congress president. The Speaker, however, did not allow her to speak.

Harsimrat also disapproved of Rahul’s hug to PM Narendra Modi , saying he should know that he was speaking in Parliament and not acting in a film.

