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Who is Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP who claims Rahul Gandhi made her 'uncomfortable'?

Dec 19, 2024 04:22 PM IST

Phangnon Konyak, a Nagaland MP, felt uncomfortable after Rahul Gandhi allegedly shouted at her during a protest in the Parliament premises.

Phangnon Konyak, a Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland, today said that she felt "very uncomfortable" when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly came close and shouted at her during a protest in the Parliament premises on Thursday. The incident took place while the INDIA bloc MPs were protesting against Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar.

Phangnon Konyak became the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in July 2023.
Phangnon Konyak became the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in July 2023.

Speaking about the protests, Konyak said, "I say this with a very heart, for which I have already sought your protection, today while protesting, it was a peaceful protest. I was standing just below the staircase of Makar Dwar. Something happened to me and I feel really disheartened. LoP Rahul Gandhi came really close proximity of me, and I really felt uncomfortable, and he shouted at me which I feel is really unbecoming of the leader of Opposition. It is not that I cannot defend myself but still then it is really unbecoming."

The BJP leader also asked requested protection from Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar, submitting a notice on that regard.

"What I felt that his action today was really bad and I feel disheartened and no lady member, let alone me should be made to feel like this. So therefore I seek your protection in this matter, for which I have already sent a notice to you sir (Rajya Sabha Chairman)," she said.

Who is Phangnon Konyak?

Phangnon Konyak made history in July 2023, becoming the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Originally from Dimapur, Konyak completed her schooling there before moving to Delhi, where she earned a Master’s degree in English Literature from Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi. She was also active in student activism and social organizations during her college years before joining the BJP.

After her historic day presiding over the Rajya Sabha, Konyak expressed her gratitude on X (formerly Twitter), calling it an "immensely privileged" and "humbling" experience, especially as the session saw the passage of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Konyak serves on several important committees, including the Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, and the Committee on Empowerment of Women. She is also part of the Governing Council of the North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Shillong.

For the first time, the panel of vice-chairpersons in the Rajya Sabha is gender-balanced, with an equal number of male and female members. Alongside Konyak, the other women appointed are PT Usha (BJP), Fauzia Khan (NCP), and Sulata Deo (BJD), all of whom are first-time parliamentarians. The male members of the panel include V Vijaysai Reddy, Ghanshyam Tiwari, L Hanumanthaiah, and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.

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