The special session of Parliament began on a positive note with the passing of the women’s reservation Bill. However, the new beginning was stained when, on September 21, Lok Sabha MP Ramesh Bidhuri of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hurled communal slurs and abuse at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Kunwar Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Bidhuri was let off with a warning by Speaker Om Birla and his remarks were expunged from the Lok Sabha records, while the Opposition pressed for his suspension. On September 28, seven days after Mr. Bidhuri made the remarks, the complaints against him were referred to the Lok Sabha’s Privileges Committee, which comprises a majority of BJP members.
Data show that members from non-BJP parties have been suspended for less severe offences in the recent past. While referring to the Mahabharata, Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said that the “king” should not be blind to what is happening against women, “whether in Hastinapur or Manipur.” He was suspended on August 10 for “gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct.” The Privileges Committee revoked his suspension on August 30. Earlier, on July 24, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Sanjay Singh for the remainder of the monsoon session after Mr. Singh rushed to the well of the House and pointed at the Chair amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs.
