NEW DELHI: Amid massive outrage over South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s unparliamentary remarks made against BSP MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha, another Delhi BJP MP Harsh Vardhan’s name suddenly began trending on micro-blogging platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. Harsh Vardhan, a former Union Minister in the Narendra Modi government, is believed to have witnessed the verbal spat between Bidhuri and Ali, however, he said that he could hardly hear anything.
“While I was no doubt witness to the jugglery of words being thrown at each other (which in fact the entire House was), the truth of the matter is that in the chaos that existed, I could not clearly hear what was being said,” the former Union minister said. Vardhan said this after a video showing him and another party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad ‘laughing’ during Bidhuri’s controversial speech became viral on social media.
Taking to X, Vardhan said, “It is a notorious and fabricated story filled with negativity and is being used by some vested political elements on social media to tarnish my image. In thirty years of public life, I have worked closely with lakhs of Muslim brothers and sisters in my constituency as well as with colleagues from various walks of life.”
I have seen my name trending on Twitter where people have dragged me into this unfortunate incident where two MPs were using unparliamentary language against each other on the floor of the House.
Our senior and respected leader Shri @rajnathsingh ji has already condemned the…
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) September 22, 2023
Vardhan added that he felt ‘sad and humiliated’ that his name is being dragged into a controversy over the use of “unpardonable language” used inside the Parliament. The former Union Health Minister called it a “notorious and fabricated story filled with negativity” and being used by some vested political elements to tarnish his image.
BJP Issues Show Cause Notice To Bidhuri
The BJP, meanwhile, issued a show cause notice to its Lok Sabha member Ramesh Bidhuri for his use of objectionable words against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali in Parliament during a discussion on the Chandrayaan mission’s success. BJP sources said the party has sought a reply from the South Delhi MP for his use of unparliamentary words.
Bidhuri had used derogatory words against Ali while speaking in Lok Sabha on Thursday. Speaker Om Birla later expunged those words. Union Minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret for Bidhuri’s remarks.
The video of Bidhuri’s controversial references to the Muslim MP have gone viral with Opposition parties demanding strict action against him, including suspension from the House. Speaker Birla has cautioned him and warned of strict action if such an offence is repeated.
