BJP MP uses anti-Muslim slurs against MP Ali in Parl

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: In a new low in the Indian parliamentary traditions, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Thursday reportedly used violent anti-Muslim slurs against his parliament colleague Danish Ali of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Bidhuri’s words were televised as part of the Lok Sabha proceedings. “Yeh ugrawaaadi (militant), yeh aatankwaadi hai (terrorist), ugrawaadi hai, yeh aantankwaadi hai,” Bidhuri can reportedly be heard shouting during the proceedings.

He also reportedly referred to Ali as a “Mullah aatankwadi, bharwa (pimp) and katwa (circumcised).”

“Baahar phenko iss mulle ko (Throw this ‘mullah’ out),” Bidhuri, the MP from South Delhi, also said. The remarks inside the new parliament building which were expunged, sparked angry reactions from the opposition parties and social media users who demanded strict action against Bidhuri. Ali reportedly said he was upset and hurt by the remarks, but “not shocked”.

“I want to ask Mohan Bhagwat and Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi: Is this what RSS teaches to its cadres in their schools?” he said.

Also, he asked, “Is this New India that Narendra Modi speaks about? If an MP is abused like this inside Lok Sabha, one can only imagine the fate of an ordinary Muslim.” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla warned Bidhuri of “strict action” if this happens again, but did not say anything about action taken this time.

Ali has written to Birla asking that Bidhuri’s comments be referred to the Lok Sabha privileges committee. He said that the episode “is most unfortunate and the fact that it has happened in a new parliament building under your leadership as Speaker is truly heartbreaking for me as a minority member of this great nation and an elected Member of Parliament as well”.

“Since this is the only way out to discipline an experienced member so that the atmosphere of our country is not vitiated any further. I request your good self to kindly order an inquiry into the matter,” he wrote in the letter.

"This is nothing less than hate speech. Hate speech on the floor of the House (Lok Sabha). Hate speeches were earlier made outside the Parliament, but yesterday (on Thursday) inside the Parliament, on the floor of the Lok Sabha, hate speech was delivered by a BJP MP," said BSP's MP Ali.

Union Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh expressed regret over the comments made by Bidhuri, reported PTI.

Singh stated that he did not hear what Bidhuri said and urged the Chair to delete the remarks from the proceedings if they hurt Opposition members. When the issue was escalated and going out of hand, the BJP issued a show cause notice to its member Bidhuri for his use of objectionable words against Ali.

According to PTI, BJP sources said the party has sought a reply from the South Delhi MP for his use of unparliamentary words. It's worth noting that a 'show cause' notice was issued to BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls for justification of Pragya Thakur's remarks on Godse.

He was later made President of BJP Karnataka and continues to hold that post.