Hate speech on floor of House: Danish Ali slams BJP over Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks

PTI, Sep 22, 2023, 6:33 PM IST

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali on Friday said if action is not taken against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for his derogatory remarks in the Lok Sabha, then he could consider quitting the membership of the House. He also said that people had not elected him to listen to ”hate speeches”.

Bidhuri made certain objectionable remarks targeted at Ali on Thursday night during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

”This is unprecedented. I have written to the Speaker. I hope action will be taken,” Danish Ali said.

”This is nothing less than hate speech. This is hate speech on the floor of the House. Hate speeches were being made outside Parliament but now hate speech has been delivered on the floor of the House by a BJP MP,” he told PTI.

He also said that Bidhuri has shamed the entire country and demanded the BJP MP’s suspension.

Asked what would he do if action was not taken against Bidhuri, Ali said, ”I 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.” He also alleged that there was a difference between the words and actions of the BJP.

”Where is this kind of behaviour and culture taught? He (Bidhuri) is a senior MP. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji’s two former cabinet colleagues, senior parliamentarians Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan, were laughing and thumping desks. This behaviour of the BJP has been witnessed by people in new India’s new Parliament’s first special session,” the BSP MP said.

On the BJP issuing showcase notice to Bidhuri, Ali said, ”That is the BJP’s lookout. I can only say that the people who have elected us have not sent us to Parliament for this.” ”Are the BJP MPs learning hate speeches in RSS shakhas or in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new laboratory of new India?” he posed.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday took ”serious note” of the objectionable remarks made by Bidhuri in the House and warned him of ”strict action” if such behaviour is repeated in the future, officials said. The speaker later expunged those words.

Union minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret for Bidhuri’s remarks.

The video of Bidhuri’s controversial references to the Muslim MP has gone viral with opposition parties demanding strict action against him, including suspension from the House.

Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan on Friday distanced themselves from their party colleague Ramesh Bidhuri’s objectionable remarks.

While Prasad said he does not support any indecent comment, Harsh Vardhan alleged that some people with vested interests have ”dragged” his name into the row and claimed that he could not ”clearly hear” what was being said due to the ”chaos” in the House at that time.