Amid a row over Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks in the Lok Sabha against him, BSP MP Danish Ali on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a public statement condemning Bidhuri's behaviour and ensure "suitable punishment" to the BJP MP. Bidhuri was given a key poll responsiblity in Rajasthan's Tonk district on Thursday.
In a letter to the prime minister, Ali also demanded that he be provided enhanced security in view of an "escalation of threats" against him. The recent incident during the special session of Parliament was not just an attack on him as an individual but an attack on the "very essence of democracy", Ali said.
Noting that the Modi was not present in the House, Ali claimed that Bidhuri used "inappropriate language" when referring to the prime minister during his address. "I raised an objection to the use of such language in relation to the Prime Minister, even if it was in a quotation. It is evident from the House proceedings that none of the members from the ruling party objected to my stance against the use of unparliamentary language directed at you," Ali said.
"However, when I rose and pointed out to Bidhuri's use of unparliamentary language towards you, he got rattled and reacted strongly, possibly realising his mistake. He began making highly offensive attacks against me on the floor of the House to divert the attention of the House," the BSP MP said.
Ali also said that there has been a continuous effort to damage his reputation and perpetuate false claims since the incident on September 21. "In addition to Bidhuri's threat of confronting me outside Parliament, in a manner more akin to a street altercation than a parliamentary setting, certain unknown individuals are persistently sending me threatening and menacing messages," Ali said in his letter to the prime minister.
Ali made a series of demands of the prime minister, including that he make a public statement from his office condemning such behaviour and reaffirming the commitment towards maintaining highest standards of parliamentary proceedings, along with ensuring strict punishment against Bidhuri.
During the recently-concluded special session of the parliament, the BJP MP used terms like "Muslim ugrawadi" (Muslim terrorist), "Bharwa" (pimp), and "katwa" (circumcised) to refer to Danish Ali. The BJP also issued a showcause notice to him.
