New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred complaints filed by several MPs to the Privileges Committee on the issue related to the use of objectionable words by BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri against BSP’s Danish Ali, sources said on Thursday.
While Ali and several other opposition MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK’s Kanimozhi, wrote to the Speaker demanding action against Bidhuri, some BJP MPs like Nishikant Dubey said the BSP member “provoked” the South Delhi MP. When he was speaking in the House. The House requested the Chairman to look into this also.
Sources said that Birla has sent all these complaints to the Privilege Committee headed by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh.
Bidhuri had made some derogatory comments, which were later expunged from the record, targeting BSP member Danish Ali on September 22 while he was speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who was present in the House, expressed regret over the conduct of the ruling party MP.
When opposition parties rallied around Ali after a video of Bidhuri’s remarks went viral, the Lok Sabha Speaker took it seriously and warned him of strict action if such behavior was repeated in future.
BJP had also issued him a show cause notice.
Ali wrote a letter to the Speaker, calling Bidhuri’s comments “hate speech” and demanding a Privileges Committee inquiry.
Almost all the opposition parties also wrote letters to Birla demanding action against him.
However, some BJP MPs, including Dubey, claimed that Ali instigated Bidhuri to make highly objectionable comments against the Prime Minister.
While Dubey condemned Bidhuri’s conduct, he also urged the Speaker to look into Ali’s conduct. Other BJP MPs also expressed the same view.
In a post on X on Thursday, Dubey thanked the Speaker for referring the matter to the committee.
“This was possible because the BJP has a majority in the Lok Sabha,” he said, citing several past incidents where no committee was formed to investigate these issues and no one was punished.
In this context, Dubey alleged that RJD-JD(U)-Congress members were involved in a fight over shoes and microphone in 2006, Sonia Gandhi was involved in an incident in 2012, besides the ruckus during Srijan in 2014 and MPs were hurt. To make Telangana a separate state.
Opposition leaders have criticized BJP for giving election responsibility to Bidhuri in Tonk district of Rajasthan.
In a post on Twitter, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said the BJP has “rewarded” Bidhuri for attacking Ali with “unspeakable words” in Parliament.
“BJP rewards hatred.” Bidhuri got the reward for attacking Danish Ali (BSP) for his indecent words in the special session of Parliament. Made BJP in-charge of Tonk district in Rajasthan.”
“‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’ is all their nonsense,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X last night.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra also criticized BJP and said Bidhuri has been “rewarded” for her remarks against a Muslim MP. “How is a show cause person given a new role by the BJP? Narendra Modi ji, is this your love journey for the minorities, your love journey?” He said on X.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “So much for BJP’s show cause notice! The foul-mouthed MP is now in charge of Tonk, where he will undoubtedly have ample opportunities to further polarize the voters with his divisive rhetoric!”
