Shocker in House

THE new Parliament House’s inaugural session, which should have been remembered for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, has been left scarred. The communal slurs and offensive words hurled at a Muslim MP by BJP Lok Sabha member Ramesh Bidhuri have sparked shock and anger. The words have been expunged from parliamentary records. It would be difficult to erase them from public memory. Danish Ali of the Bahujan Samaj Party has demanded Bidhuri’s suspension from the Lok Sabha, describing his derogatory remarks against him as hate speech. He is contemplating quitting Parliament over the incident, he has said.

The Speaker has issued a stern warning to the BJP MP, but the Opposition has been quick to term it as grossly inadequate. Members have been suspended for far lesser indiscretions, it has been pointed out. The ruling party has served a show-cause notice on the South Delhi MP, seeking a reply from him for the use of objectionable and unparliamentary words. The Defence Minister expressed regret in the House. Is that enough? Does the matter end there? It simply does not.

All the talk of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ becomes an empty, hypocritical slogan in the absence of outright condemnation of Bidhuri’s outburst and strict action against him. His outburst underscores how deep hate has struck root in the country. A line has been crossed yet again, not on the street this time, but in the temple of democracy. Nothing could be more disturbing. What is the message Parliament sending out? It would be hugely disappointing if the BJP decides to brush aside the issue. Even more troubling are attempts to draw parallels with the MP’s outrageous comments and portray it as a reaction to a provocative remark.