Opposition parties on Saturday stepped up pressure on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for stringent action, including suspension, against Bharatiya Janata Party's Ramesh Bidhuri over his derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali in the House.
While the BJP had issued notice to Bidhuri after facing flak over his utterances, the party also hit back at the opposition leaders, alleging they have been making uncouth and objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his parents.
BJP MP Nishikant urged the Speaker to form an inquiry committee to look into statements made by Ali and members from parties like the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Lok Sabha and alleged that the BSP MP made 'highly objectionable' remarks against Modi that provoked the ruling party MP.
Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb shared a video clip on X of Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and asked if any opposition leader had condemned it.
Speaker Birla had on Friday warned Bidhuri of 'strict action' if such behaviour is repeated and his remarks were expunged from parliamentary records but the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties had demanded that the matter be referred to the privileges committee of the House.
As Bidhuri's remarks during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday triggered a furore, Ali had said that he could consider quitting the membership of the House if no step is taken.
In a letter written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress leader and former Maharashtra minister Naseem Khan demanded that Bidhuri be 'permanently suspended'.
Bidhuri's 'shameful' statement is an insult not only to the MP but also to Parliament, the 'sanctum sanctorum of our democracy', he said.
"It is very unfortunate and disturbing that language which was earlier confined to street debates related to organisations like RSS and VHP has now entered Parliament through BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri," he alleged.
Speaker Birla should send a strong message by effecting immediate 'permanent suspension' of Bidhuri, Khan demanded.
Bharata Rashtra Samiti MLC in Telangana K Kavitha also urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to take stringent action in the matter.
'It's saddening and shocking to hear the disrespectful comments made by MP @rameshbidhuri towards MP Danish Ali Ji in the supreme legislature of our Nation. Such behaviour has no place in our democratic discourse. I request Hon'ble speaker @ombirlakota Ji to take immediate and stringent action,' she said on X.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded Bidhuri's suspension.
"Why has action not been taken till now? By just issuing a warning, you are telling the MPs that you can get away with such a conduct...," she said.
DMK's Thamizhachi Thangapandian said, "When Ramesh Bidhuri made that statement, our party MP Kanimozhi stood up and registered her protest. A letter was written to the Speaker. Action needs to be taken.
Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said it was the constitutional as well as moral responsibility of Speaker Birla to take action in the matter.
Members of the TMC and NCP among others have written to the Speaker seeking action against Bidhuri, who represents South Delhi Lok Sabha seat.
However, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, accusing Ali of making unsavoury remarks during Bidhuri's speech in the House aimed at instigating him to lose his composure.
Dubey alleged that Ali also made a 'highly objectionable and blasphemous' remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He used the 'neech' barb, the BJP leader claimed, saying it was more than enough for 'any patriotic public representative to lose his calm and fall into his trap by uttering unsavoury words'.
Dubey was, however, categorical in condemning Bidhuri's comments, saying no decent society can justify them and they cannot be condemned enough.
'But the Lok Sabha Speaker should also probe the unsavoury remarks and conduct of Danish Ali. Under Lok Sabha rules, obstructing another MP during the time allotted to him, speaking while sitting and giving a running commentary also call for punishment,' he posted on X.
In his letter, Dubey said TMC and DMK members also made comments about the faith of another community. What he has written is a verifiable fact, he claimed.
If Bidhuri has committed an inappropriate act, then other members, including Ali, have also contributed to spreading enmity amongst communities.
'I, therefore, request you to constitute an 'Inquiry Committee' to investigate the utterances made by various members during the said discussion and also to inquire the extent of culpability of various other members of Parliament in instigating our citizens by way of their comments made in the House,' he wrote to the Speaker.
BJP's Haryana in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb hit out at state Congress chief Udai Bhan for allegedly making derogatory remarks against against Modi and Khattar.
He dubbed Bhan's remarks as a reflection of the pervert mentality of the opposition party.
Is it Rahul Gandhi's shop of love, he said.
Did any opposition leader condemn this? Has the Congress asked him to apologise, asked the BJP Rajya Sabha MP.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said Bhan has used petty and indecent words for the prime minister which cannot be condemned enough.
It has caused pain and anguish among not only BJP members but also among people of the country, he said.
Congress leaders have in the past also used similarly tasteless and objectionable remarks against not only him but also his parents, he alleged.
Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav compared Bidhuri's behaviour to that of 'street bullies'.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader also said that he had no hopes of action against Bidhuri since it appears that those in the BJP had the right to indulge in all types of delinquent behaviour.
"We saw the plight of award-winning female wrestlers who sat on dharnas for months. But no action was taken against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh whom they accused of sexual harassment," Yadav alleged.
"What happened inside the Parliament was, indeed, painful and shameful. The use of such language, targeting a fellow MP for his religious affiliation...," he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned the 'silence' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the matter.
