The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a response from Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) over Union Minister Smriti Irani's complaint against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his 'rape in India' remark during a poll rally in Jharkhand's Godda.

Smriti Irani on Friday (December 13) had approached the ECI over Rahul Gandhi's 'rape in India' remark seeking strong action against the congress MP for allegedly using crimes against women as a 'political tool'.

"The entire nation is looking up to the constitutional authorities to ensure that dignities of women are upheld and the politicians use rape as a political tool, should be punished," the minister had said.

The Rahul Gandhi’s ‘rape in India’ remark had also rocked the Lok Sabha.

Women MPs of BJP had raised protests, leading Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the proceedings twice, before finally adjourning the House sine die.

On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi had refused to apologize for his 'rape in India' comment made during the rally in Jharkhand and termed BJP's objection as 'a tactic to deflect attention from protests in North East'.

"I have a clip-on my phone in which Narendra Modi ji is calling Delhi a 'rape capital', will tweet it so that everyone can see. Just to deflect attention from protests in North East, this is being made an issue by BJP," Rahul Gandhi had alleged.

Rahul Gandhi had said in Jharkhand that PM Modi's 'Make in India' initiative is like 'rape in India', an apparent reference to rising incidents of rape in the country.

In UP, PM Modi's MLA 'raped' a and later she met with an accident, but the pm said no words, the Congress MP said.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi refuses to apologise for 'rape in India' remark; raises Modi's 'rape capital' jibe