Bidhuri has apparently been “rewarded” for making the filthiest comments against a Muslim parliamentarian as the BJP made him in-charge of Rajasthan’s Tonk district for the upcoming assembly elections. The “deafening silence” of the loquacious Prime Minister, who is usually quite vocal on trivial issues, is highly concerning, noted Ali.
Abdul Bari Masoud | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — BSP parliamentarian Danish Ali, who was targeted by BJP parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri with religious slurs in Lok Sabha, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to publicly denounce Bidhuri’s behaviour and ensure appropriate punishment for him.
In a letter to PM, Ali drew attention towards the outrageous remarks and demanded security for himself in view of an “escalation in threats” against him after the profanities poured on him by Bidhuri last week. In an X (formerly Twitter) post Ali wrote: “Today, I wrote a letter to Hon’ble Prime Minister and the leader of #LokSabha Shri @narendramodi ji, requesting him to uphold and protect the parliamentary decorum, break his silence, as the world is watching India more closely.”
Addressing a press conference at his residence, Ali underscored that loquacious Prime Minister Modi “makes statements on trivial issues but his deafening silence” on the filthiest language ever used within the Lok Sabha by none other than his party MP is highly disturbing. As a matter of fact, Bidhuri was apparently “rewarded” for the “unparliamentary” comment as the BJP made him in-charge of Rajasthan’s Tonk district for the upcoming assembly elections, noted Ali.
Ali, who represents Amroha Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, said that Bidhuri had shown utter disrespect for the high decorum of the house.
He further underlined that even though the majority of House members, including some BJP members, denounced Bidhuri’s remarks, “There has been a continuous effort to damage my reputation and perpetuate false claims since September 21.” “Despite the events on the floor of the House being evident to everyone, certain members have chosen to spread falsehoods about my behaviour,” he said.
In the letter, he stated: “As you (PM) must be aware, the situation has significantly worsened since September 21, 2023, and it has cast a shadow over the parliamentary decorum and democratic functioning of our esteemed House, of which I am privileged to be a member.”
To prevent any recurrence of such incidents in the future, Ali emphasised the need for swift accountability for Bidhuri’s conduct and appropriate punishment for Bidhuri. This would serve as a deterrent and uphold the integrity of parliamentary proceedings, he said.
He underlined that he has been receiving threatening messages from various sources and requested enhanced security arrangements for himself. Ali further pointed out that Nishikant Dubey and many others, who owe allegiance to the saffron party, are engaged in a disinformation campaign, claiming that his comments “provoked” Bidhuri’s behaviour. Notably, Dubey of the BJP asked Speaker Om Birla to appoint an inquiry committee to look into instances of “unsavoury remarks” made by opposition leaders, Ali, and other opposition MPs.
Ali assailed the BJP’s move to “reward” Bidhuri with a position of party in-charge in Tonk district for polls, saying it showed the true character of the saffron party, as it has a history of rewarding leaders who have made derogatory and provocative remarks nagainst a particular community.
Ali pointed out that the BJP elevated individuals like Anurag Thakur, who made the controversial statement “goli maro saalon ko” (shoot the traitors), from a junior minister to a cabinet minister. This pattern of rewarding hate-speech makers is “deeply concerning and raises questions about the BJP’s values and priorities”.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Speaker referred the complaints lodged by several MPs on the issue to the Privileges Committee. It is to be noted that eight of the 14 members of the Privileges Committee are from the BJP, including Sunil Kumar Singh, who heads the committee.
The Speaker had ordered that Bidhuri’s comments, which were made during a debate on the Chandrayaan 3 mission in last week’s special session of Parliament, be struck from the records.
Soon after the “shameful incident”, Ali had sent a letter to LS Speaker Om Birla, demanding appropriate action against the erring politician. The Speaker said that “strict action” would be taken against Bidhuri “if such behaviour is repeated”.
Opposition parties have united around Ali and attacked the BJP. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several members of the Congress, TMC, and NCP, among others, demanded the sternest punishment for Bidhuri. Opposition parties pointed out that the non-BJP parliamentarians faced suspension or even exclusion from sessions for less offensive remarks.
Rahul Gandhi paid a solidarity visit to Danish Ali’s home and made it clear that he would not remain silent if any community was targeted.
A day after the BJP made Bidhuri in charge of Rajasthan’s Tonk for the upcoming Assembly elections, senior politician Kapil Sibal said the saffron party “rewards hate”. In a post on X, Sibal, who is also a noted lawyer, said, “BJP rewards ‘hate’. Bidhuri was rewarded for attacking Danish Ali (BSP) for the unspeakable words he used in the Special Session of Parliament.”
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Photo: BSP parliamentarian Danish Ali addressing media at his residence in New Delhi.
