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'Rahul can hug BJP MPs only if he marries, Section 377 scrapped'

(File) Congress president Rahul Gandhi hugs Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his speech in the Lok Sabha on Jul 20 | PTI

Even as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi continues to play up his hug of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament a week ago, a BJP MP has made a seemingly bizarre reference to Section 377 of the IPC to argue why saffron party legislators won't embrace Gandhi. Section 377 criminalises sex between people of the same gender.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday claimed BJP MPs wouldn't hug Gandhi as "Section 377 hasn't been scrapped as yet". Dubey even said Gandhi should get married before he hugged BJP leaders.

"Why should we [BJP MPs] hug him? Section 377 hasn't been scrapped as yet. And our wives will also give divorce to us. If Rahul Gandhi gets married, then we will hug him," he said.

Interestingly, Gandhi claimed at a book launch event in Delhi on Wednesday, that following his hug of Modi, BJP MPs now took “two steps back” when he met them, fearing he would hug them.

Gandhi's surprise gesture of hugging Modi during the no-confidence motion debate had evoked considerable criticism from the BJP; however, Gandhi and the Congress appear to be attempting to use the gesture to highlight the grand old party's liberal and inclusive credentials.