NEW DELHI: Several opposition parties on Friday demanded an investigation by the parliament privilege committee into the alleged hate speech by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri against BSPโs Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha.
Bidhuri had used derogatory words against Ali during a discussion on the Chandrayaan missionโs success on Thursday night. The Speaker had expunged the remarks from the record.
During the debate, the BJP MP from South Delhi called Ali as โmullah ugravadiโ (extremist mullah), katua (circumcised one), and terrorist and bhadwa (pimp) when the latter objected to Bidhuriโs claim that some opposition leaders wanted PM Modi to die like a dog.
In letters to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the DMK, NCP, TMC, Congress and other parties said Bidhuriโs remarks were โunparliamentaryโ and โcondemnableโ. They demanded that the matter be referred to the privilege committee for investigation and appropriate action.
โThis act should be thoroughly condemned and stringent action should be taken against the BJP MP by the speaker,โ said D Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the incident was โunprecedented, unfortunate and unsavouryโ and had happened during the special session of Parliament.
โThis is a very serious matter and I urge you to take immediate action to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,โ Chowdhury said in his letter to Birla.
Bidhuri has not commented on the issue. The BJP has issued him a show-cause notice.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the BSP lawmaker at the latterโs residence in New Delhi. โHe came here to keep my morale high and to extend his supportโฆ He said that I am not alone and everyone who is standing with democracy is standing with me,โ Ali told media persons after the meeting.
Defence minister Rajnath had apologised to Ali soon after Bidhuriโs objectionable comments in the House. However, Ali is not satisfied.
โI expect that the speaker will take action on this. But if action is not taken, then with a heavy heart, I can consider quitting the membership of this House because people have not sent me to Parliament to listen to hate speeches,โ he said.
