Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Thursday expressed regret for his objectionable, unsavoury and derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party leader Danish Ali in a meeting of the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee, which heard both leaders separately, reports PTI, citing sources.
Led by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh, the Lok Sabha privileges committee, met on Thursday to record the statements of both the politicians – Bidhuri and Ali – over the charges that were levelled at them.
Bidhuri in his deposition before the committee noted that senior BJP leader and defence minister Rajnath Singh had also conveyed his regret in the House for his comments which he made during a discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
In the Lok Sabha on September 21, Bidhuri, BJP South Delhi MP, had allegedly used words against him which included “B* (pimp), K* (circumcised one), M**** ugravadi (Muslim terrorist) as well as atankvadi ( terrorist) against Ali. Following the incident, several BJP leaders had accused Ali of using derogatory words for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provoke Bidhuri.
As Bidhuri was making objectionable remarks against the BSP MP on the floor of the House, his party colleague and former union minister Harsh Vardhan was seen laughing in the backdrop. The remarks were later expunged from the records.
As a row erupted in the House, Singh rose to convey his regrets. “I express regret if the opposition is hurt by the remarks made by the member,” the Deputy Leader of the House in Lok Sabha said.
Danish Ali also appeared before the committee and spoke in detail about the incident, according to PTI sources, and categorically rejected the charge that he used insulting remarks against the prime minister.
After the incident on September 21, BJP president J P Nadda had also issued a show-cause notice to Bidhuri.
Danish Ali had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Prime Minister Modi over the incident and expressed “grave concern” over the comments made by his Bidhuri.
“As you 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,” Ali said in his letter to PM Modi, which he released to the media.
“In your capacity as the Leader of the House and the Prime Minister of our great nation, I trust that you would find it deeply concerning that MP Ramesh Bidhuri resorted to using unparliamentary and abusive language,” Ali had added.