Kunwar Danish Ali, an opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) politician who represents the constituency of Amroha in the lower house Lok Sabha, demanded that action be taken against the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Ramesh Bidhuri.
Bidhuri is said to have used Islamophobic slurs, threats, and foul language against him while speaking in the newly inaugurated parliament building yesterday.
“Hate speeches were being made outside parliament but now hate speech has been delivered on the floor of the House by a BJP MP,” he said.
“I expect that the speaker will take action on this. But if action is not taken, then with a heavy heart, I can consider quitting the membership of this House because people have not sent me to Parliament to listen to hate speeches,” he said.
Ali said if an elected Muslim politician can be treated in such a manner inside the parliament building, then it is worth considering what is the situation of average Muslims in the country.
“Is this what is taught in the camps of RSS?” he asked, referring to Bidhuri’s affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or the National Association of Volunteers, the BJP’s ideological parent that runs a number of Hindutva outfits.
Several opposition parties expressed solidarity with Ali and wrote to the speaker demanding action against the BJP member.
In a media interview, Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress party said “the problem is not Bidhuri” but that the BJP has created “an ecosystem” in which some were bold enough to say offensive things publicly.
Moitra said the BJP member knew nothing would happen to him and there were ministers who were laughing while he spoke the words of abuse.
Kashmiri politician Omar Abdullah said Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla should take action against the BJP member as opposition Members of Parliament have been suspended for trivial offences while in Bidhuri’s case, outright abuse is condoned.
Jairam Ramesh, a Congress MP, demanded Bidhuri’s suspension while Senior Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi visited Danish Ali’s residence to extend his support.