The BJP and opposition parties have lodged complaints with a parliamentary panel regarding BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s Islamophobic attack on BSP lawmaker Danish Ali. The BJP argued that “indecent remarks” about Prime Minister Narendra Modi provoked the vile verbal assault. Here are the key points of this major story:
1. BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Ravi Shukla filed complaints against Danish Ali with Parliament’s Privileges Committee. They acknowledged that Mr. Bidhuri’s remarks were inappropriate but claimed that continuous heckling and disturbance led to his use of offensive language.
2. Over a week after the incident, Danish Ali and DMK MP Kanimozhi filed complaints against Mr. Bidhuri. The Congress, DMK, Trinamool, and NCP also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding punitive action. Mr. Birla warned Mr. Bidhuri that he would face strict action if he repeated such behavior.
3. Outrage over Mr. Bidhuri’s communal slurs intensified when it was revealed that he would lead the BJP’s poll campaign in Rajasthan’s Tonk. The opposition criticized this appointment as a “reward for hate.”
4. Mr. Bidhuri has not yet commented on the controversy. He belongs to the influential Gurjar community, which holds significance in Tonk’s four seats and is crucial for the BJP’s success in the upcoming elections in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. Tonk is also the constituency of senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
5. Danish Ali released footage of him responding to Ramesh Bidhuri’s assault, wherein he demanded an apology, stating, “He must apologize… yeh kya hain?” This video was released to counter claims that he used casteist slurs against PM Modi before the attack.
6. Mr. Ali emphasized that he never uttered any words that would harm the sanctity of democracy. He accused the BJP of creating a narrative for his lynching and claimed that Nishikant Dubey’s comments were meant to justify his “physical lynching.”
7. Mr. Ali, speaking to NDTV, stated that the incident had brought shame to the country and questioned whether the BJP would take disciplinary action or promote Mr. Bidhuri. He also revealed that the verbal attacks had left him traumatized.
8. The BJP, facing severe criticism, served Ramesh Bidhuri a show cause notice last week. He met with party leader JP Nadda on Monday and was subsequently assigned to Tonk two days later. The details of their meeting have not been disclosed, and it’s unclear if the party intends to discipline him.
9. Responding to the Nadda-Bidhuri meeting, Danish Ali questioned the sincerity of the BJP’s actions, asking why they would call him if they were genuinely committed to taking action. He argued that there is sufficient evidence of the incident on record.
10. Ramesh Bidhuri’s outburst against Danish Ali occurred during a Lok Sabha discussion on India’s successful moon mission, Chandrayaan-3.