Amidst a raging controversy over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s use of communal slurs in the Lok Sabha on September 21 against BSP MP Danish Ali, BJP president J P Nadda is said to have met with Mr Bidhuri and sought an explanation on his use of these words.
Mr Bidhuri met Mr. Nadda at the BJP headquarters, days after he was issued a show-cause notice by the party for his remarks, and after many Opposition parties including the Congress, and BSP Danish Ali himself having written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding that Mr Bidhuri’s remarks be referred to the privileges committee.
There was no official word on what transpired in the meeting, but it assumes significance in the backdrop of BJP having served a show cause notice to Mr Bidhuri on his remarks, and, simultaneously have a situation where many BJP MPs like Nishikant Dubey and Sudhanshu Trivedi have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla,, alleging that Mr Ali “instigated” Mr Bidhuri and seeking probe into Mr Ali’s utterances as well.
The situation within the BJP with regard to Mr Bidhuri is a mix of dismay and defensiveness, with MPs seeking to defend his use of communal slurs and leaders too signing up for this view, but with the understanding that Mr Bidhuri’s utterances have cast a pall over the actual achievement of the Special Session of Parliament – the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
