On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Ramesh Bidhuri expressed remorse for what he acknowledged as 'objectionable' comments directed towards Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali during a session in the Lok Sabha on September 21, as per insider sources.
In the course of a meeting convened by the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee today, which conducted separate hearings with both leaders, Bidhuri not only conveyed his regret but also highlighted that Union Minister Rajnath Singh had formally expressed regret within the House for the statements made by the BJP MP.
The committee had summoned Ramesh Bidhuri, specifically for his employment of an anti-Muslim slur, and Danish Ali, for alleged improper conduct during a discussion on Chandrayaan-2 in the House, to present oral evidence on December 7.
The incident in question unfolded when Ramesh Bidhuri, during a Lok Sabha discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, made derogatory remarks targeting BSP member Danish Ali on September 21. Although these remarks were subsequently expunged from the official records, the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, who was presiding over the session, expressed his lack of awareness regarding the comments and urged their removal from the proceedings if they had caused any offense to opposition members.
In response to the situation, Congress member K Suresh, who was overseeing the session, confirmed that he had already instructed officials to expunge the remarks. Furthermore, Rajnath Singh, acknowledging the potential distress caused to the opposition, extended an apology, leading to appreciative applause from opposition members.
The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, subsequently referred the complaints lodged by MPs regarding Bidhuri's use of objectionable language against Danish Ali to the Privileges Committee in September.
While Danish Ali and various other opposition MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's Kanimozhi, called for punitive measures against Bidhuri, several BJP parliamentarians, such as Nishikant Dubey, contended that the BSP member had provoked the South Delhi MP, making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to reports from news agency PTI, Danish Ali, who also appeared before the committee, rejected the accusation that he had used insulting language against Modi. This intricate situation underscores the ongoing deliberations within the Privileges Committee, tasked with adjudicating on the alleged transgressions by both MPs.
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