Lok Sabha member Danish Ali, who was the target of unparalleled communal invectives by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri during Parliament proceedings last week, on Friday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention as leader of the House in ensuring punishment for his party colleague for the attack on the “very essence of democracy”.
“I request that accountability should be fixed at the earliest on the reprehensible conduct of Shri Bidhuri and he should be suitably punished so that no one can repeat such an act ever in the House,” Ali said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
The BSP MP urged the Prime Minister to make a public statement condemning Bidhuri. He also sought security for himself in the wake of threat calls and messages following the profanities poured on him by the BJP MP in the Lok Sabha.
In the letter, Ali narrated what transpired in the Lok Sabha on September 21, including the fact that apart from heaping community-specific slurs on him, Bidhuri “also in the same breath verbally threatened me, stated his intention to confront me outside the House”.
Placing on record the fact that the incident was condemned by most members of the House, including some from the BJP, Ali pointed out that there has been a continuous effort to damage his reputation.
Ali also referred to attempts to perpetuate false claims since September 21, naming BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in particular and accusing him of disseminating “absolute falsehoods” against him.
“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 told Modi. The 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. “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 wrote.
About the incident, Ali said: “Shri Bidhuri used inappropriate language when referring to you during his address. I raised an objection to the use of such language in relation to the Prime Minister, even if it was 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. However, when I rose and pointed out to Shri 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….”
As for the reason for seeking enhanced security, Ali said: “The threat issued by Shri Bidhuri and the subsequent spread of inaccurate information about my conduct have raised substantial apprehensions regarding my personal safety and security. In addition to Shri Bidhuri’s threats to confront 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. These messages, which I suspect are orchestrated, employ not only harsh language but also explicitly threaten my life and physical well-being. Copies of these messages are attached to this letter.”
“I urge you to remind all Members of Parliament of the importance of upholding the highest standards of decorum and conduct within the House as the whole world looks upon us as a torchbearer of parliamentary democracy. Such indecent incidents should have no place in our democracy,” Ali said.
Acting on the complaints submitted by several Opposition MPs, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred them to the Privileges Committee headed by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi. Though defence minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret on the floor of the House on September 21 itself, Bidhuri himself has not apologised till date.
