New Delhi [India]: Facing a backlash over his tirade against BSP MP Danish Ali on the floor of the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the country's successful lunar landing mission — Chandrayaan-3, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Sunday sidestepped a direct query on his remarks.
To a question on his remarks, which saw the BSP MP writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several Opposition members calling for his dismissal from the Lower House as well as the BJP, Budhuri on Sunday said, "No comments."
He added that Speaker Birla was "looking into the matter".
Meanwhile, weighing in on the controversy around Bidhuri's remarks, fellow BJP leader and MP Ravi Kishan said no member should be allowed to get away with such comments in a "temple of democracy".
“No elected member of the Parliament, which is a temple of democracy, should be allowed to make such comments. His remarks were unpardonable. I have many Muslim friends, some of whom are associated with show business. We have appeared in films together over the years. What Ramesh Bidhuri said about Danish Ali in Parliament was not at all in good taste. I don't condone his statement," Kishan, a Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur, told ANI.
He, however, added that the Speaker acts on his fellow party MP over his remarks directed at the BSP leader, similar action should follow against the latter as well.
"If the Speaker acts against Ramesh Vidhuri, then similar action should follow against Danish Ali as well. Twice when I stood up in the House twice to speak, he made indecent comments about me. I have no qualms in saying that whatever Bidhuri-ji said has lowered the dignity of the Parliament. But Danish Ali shouldn't just be seen as a victim here but also an accused. He used filthy language about PM Modi when he rose to address the House. We have been members of Parliament for 4 to 5 years. Whenever someone from the BJP stands up to speak in Parliament, they (Opposition members) provoke and heckle us a lot.”
“I have personally been at the receiving end of Danish Ali's offensive remarks. My only contention is that if action has to be taken against Vidhuri-ji, similar action should follow against Danish Ali as well. Footage of his (offensive) remarks in Parliament should be taken out and a committee should be put together to go over it," Kishan added.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Danish Ali after he wrote to the Speaker about Bidhuri's rant against him.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rahul said, “Nafrat ke Bazaar mein Mohabbat ki Dukan (We are running a shop of love in the market of hate).”
The BJP, meanwhile, issued a show cause notice to Bidhuri on the instruction of party president JP Nadda for his use of unparliamentary language against BSP's Danish Ali.
—ANI