New Delhi:

Senior BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri made a sexist remark about Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Wednesday, declaring the AAP leader is “roaming the city like a deer”. At a rally in the national capital, which will hold an Assembly election in three weeks, he said, “Dilli ki janta nark bhog rahi hai galiyon mei… galiyon ki halat dekhiye… Kabhi Atishi nahi gayi milne logon se. Lekin ab chunaav ke samay jaise jungle mei hirni bhaagti hai vaise Atishi Dilli ki sadko pr hirni jaise ghoom rahi hain.”

Translated, the remark means, “The people of Delhi are suffering in the streets of Delhi… Look at the condition of the streets… In the last four years, Atishi never came to meet the people and now when the elections are here, she is roaming on the streets of Delhi like a deer runs in the forest.”

The AAP has yet to respond to Bidhuri’s crude jab.

Atishi – who succeeded party boss Arvind Kejriwal to the top post after he was forced to stand down last year over involvement in an alleged corruption scam – will contest the February 5 poll from Delhi’s Kalkaji.

The BJP has named Bidhuri – no stranger to incendiary remarks against political rivals, including communal slurs against then BSP leader Danish Ali – as its candidate for that seat.

This isn’t the first time Bidhuri has made inappropriate and unseemly remarks against female colleagues. He earlier declared that were he to be elected as a Delhi MLA, he would make roads which are like Congress leader “Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks”. He later offered an apology.

READ | Priyanka Responds To BJP Leader’s Controversial “Cheeks” Remark

He earlier also launched another personal attack, targeting Atishi’s father. A heart-broken AAP leader broke down, telling reporters, “For elections, he (Bidhuri) stooped so low… he abused an old man…”

VIDEO | Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Breaks Down Over BJP Leader’s Jibe

There has also been talk, which Bidhuri has squashed, of the BJP leader being a chief ministerial candidate. In a statement issued on Sunday he said, “The party has given me a lot, I have no claim to any post. I am as dedicated to the people as I am to the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is completely baseless to talk about me for the post of chief minister. I will continue as your servant.”

READ | “Not Contender”: BJP Leader On AAP’s ‘Chief Minister Face’ Claim

The Congress, meanwhile, has named a former AAP leader, Alka Lamba, as its candidate.

INDIA bloc allies on paper, the AAP and the Congress have fallen foul of each other since the Haryana election in October last year, for which the two failed to agree a seat sharing deal.

READ | “When INDIA Bloc Was Formed…”: Allies’ Reminder To Congress Before Delhi Poll

The Congress was then routed by the BJP. The Haryana disaster drew jabs from the SP and Trinamool, both of whom made pointed reference to their own failed seat-share talks with the bloc head.

And, fuelled by similar spats – including for Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats in the April-June federal election – the Congress and the AAP confirmed in December they will be rivals this time around.

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who is seeking re-election from Kalkaji in next month’s Assembly elections, on Sunday hit out at her rival BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri for his alleged remarks on her family made last week.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Atishi also claimed that her crowd-funding initiative launched on Sunday morning generated Rs 17 lakh in donations within just 10 hours.

Atishi, who defeated BJP’s Dharambir Singh in 2020, said she will proceed to file her nomination for the February 5 polls at the district magistrate’s office after praying at the Kalkaji temple and at a gurdwara.

On her BJP rival’s recent remarks, Atishi said, “Bidhuri has shown his character. Within 24 hours of getting a ticket, he made an indecent comment on Priyanka Gandhi. In the next 24 hours, he abused me and my family from Prime Minister Modi’s stage at a rally.” At a ‘Parivaratan’ rally of the BJP in Rohini last week, Bidhuri targeted Atishi for dropping her surname and went on to say that she “changed her father”.

“Not a single BJP leader has said that Bidhuri was wrong, or asked him to apologise to Pryanka Gandhi or me (for his remarks),” Atishi said.

“This means the BJP supports Bidhuri’s indecent language and the abuses he hurled at women. Had they not, they would have said he was wrong and asked him to apologise to Priayanka Gandhi and me. But they did not do so,” she added.

Before targeting Atishi, Bidhuri had stoked a controversy by claiming that he would make roads which are like Congress leader “Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks” in his constituency, a comment for which he later expressed regret.

Atishi, who launched her crowd-funding campaign to contest the polls on Sunday, called the initiative an “example of honesty”.

“I need Rs 40 lakh to contest the polls which is .0005 per cent of the budget of our government. AAP is a party that never earned even a single penny dishonestly and that is why we still seek donations from the people to fight the elections,” she said.

The campaign launched at 10 am raised Rs 17 lakh by 8 pm in the form of small donations worth Rs 100 and similar amounts, which show the donors were commoners wishing to support AAP, she claimed.

“I hope the target will be met in coming days,” she said.

Amid BJP’s claims that AAP was helping illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas staying in Delhi to become voters to use them as vote banks, Atishi hit back by questioning the security on the borders under the BJP-led Central government.

“Amit Shah should tell from where these Bangladeshis and Rohingyas came. He is responsible for border security and stopping infiltration through the India-Bangladesh borders,” she said.

“How did the Rohingyas reach Delhi? What does it speak of the law and order and security arrangements if they managed to reach Delhi after crossing the borders and passing through many states. If Rohingyas have reached Delhi, only the BJP is responsible for it,” Atishi said.

Talking about her re-election bid from Kalkaji, she said the constituency was her “Karmbhumi” for the last five years where people considered her as their own “daughter and sister”.

Expressing hopes of getting the wholehearted support of the voters this time as well, Atishi said she developed the constituency by treating its residents like her own family.

The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on February 5. The results will be out on February 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Sunday dismissed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s claims that the opposition party is likely to consider projecting him as the chief ministerial face in next month’s Delhi assembly elections, saying he is not a contender for the top post.

Mr Bidhuri, who is contesting the polls from Kalkaji seat against Chief Minister Atishi, made the clarification amid Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal’s allegations that the BJP intends to field the former MP as the chief ministerial candidate in a day or two. The opposition party has, however, repeatedly dismissed the claim.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Bidhuri said: “I am as dedicated to the people as I am to my party. Talks about the chief minister’s role for me are totally baseless. I will continue to work timelessly as your servant.” 

The BJP leader also said he is a “loyal worker” of the party. “The party has constantly blessed me and expressed trust in me. While I was holding important responsibilities for twenty-five years, the party made me an MP twice and an MLA thrice and has given me the opportunity to come to your door for the fourth time,” he said, referring to his term as MP from 2014 to 2019 and 2019 to 2024, and election as MLA in 2003, 2008 and 2013. 

The former MP also hit out at Mr Kejriwal for his “misleading propaganda” against him. “I want to make it clear that I am not a claimant for any post,” he said. 

“With your blessings, I am dedicated to the service of the people… I want to give you more and more of the country,” he added. 

At a press conference on Saturday, Mr Kejriwal claimed that he has come to know from “reliable sources” that the BJP will announce Mr Bidhuri as the chief ministerial candidate in the coming days. He also challenged Bidhuri to a public debate to let the people of Delhi decide who is better equipped to lead.

“Once Bidhuri’s candidacy is officially announced, I propose that to strengthen democracy, there should be a public debate between the AAP’s candidate and the BJP’s candidate, Ramesh Bidhuri, in front of the people of Delhi, the nation, and the media,” the former Chief Minister said.

Mr Bidhuri alleged that by raking up his name, Mr Kejriwal has accepted that the BJP will form the government in the next assembly term. “He has widely accepted his defeat because it is well known that the people of Delhi are widely angry with him. The people want to get rid of the liquor scam, education scam, health scam, Sheeshmahal scam, broken roads, dirty drinking water etc,” he said, referring to the excise policy case, an alleged scam in the Delhi education department, the alleged Mohalla clinic scam and alleged irregularities in the construction of the bungalow that Mr Kejriwal used as chief minister.

Ms Atishi, who is seeking reelection from Kalkaji seat, also claimed on Friday that the BJP was going to name Mr Bidhuri as its chief ministerial face and criticised the party for picking a leader who “hurls the most abuses”.

The BJP dismissed the claims as a “baseless rumour” with Union Home Minister Amit Shah accusing Mr Kejriwal of spreading canard for political mileage. “Can Kejriwal decide the BJP’s chief ministerial face? Who is he to make such claims?” he said while addressing “Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan” in the Capital on Saturday. 

Mr Shah also accused Mr Kejriwal of attempting to manipulate public perception, asserting that the people of Delhi understood his tactics. “Lies, betrayal and going back on promises” are the qualities of Kejriwal, he said. 

Mr Bidhuri’s recent remarks about Ms Atishi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi had triggered a controversy. 

The BJP leader had made derogatory comments against Ms Atishi’s father.

Besides, he said that would make roads in Kalkaji smooth like “Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks”. The Congress termed the remark as an “insult to women”.

Mr Bidhuri later expressed regret following an uproar.

The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on February 5, and the counting of votes will be held on February 8. 

The AAP, which won 67 seats in the 2015 polls and 62 in the 2020 polls, is eyeing another consecutive term in the Capital. 

The BJP won three seats in 2015 and eight in 2020 while the Congress failed to open its account on both the occasions. 

New Delhi:

Stepping up the attack on the BJP ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said the party is not announcing its chief ministerial candidate because it is afraid of suffering defeat. The AAP leader also claimed that the BJP has finalised the name of its former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri – who was denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha polls but is contesting against Chief Minister Atishi from the Kalkaji constituency in the Assembly polls – as the chief ministerial candidate.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit back, accusing the AAP chief of spreading canards and trying to manipulate public perception. “Can Mr Kejriwal decide the BJP’s chief ministerial face? Who is he to make such claims,” the minister asked.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Mr Kejriwal said in Hindi, “The AAP has been clear from the beginning that I will be the chief ministerial candidate. The BJP’s Central Election Committee met yesterday and sources tell us the party has probably decided to name Ramesh Bidhuri as the chief ministerial candidate. Sources said his name will be declared in a day or two. I congratulate Mr Bidhuri and, on behalf of the people of Delhi, urge him to tell us about the work he has done as an MP for ten years. He should also lay out his vision for Delhi and the people of Delhi.”

The former Delhi chief minister also challenged the BJP to a public debate.

“This will make the vision of the respective people and parties clear to the people of Delhi and India. We will wait, maybe the announcement of Mr Bidhuri’s name will happen in a day or two,” he said. 

Mr Bidhuri had made headlines in September 2023, when he used Islamophobic slurs against Amroha MP Danish Ali, sparking a huge controversy. After his candidature for the Delhi Assembly elections was declared earlier this month, his remarks on Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks and Atishi’s surname change had stirred up a row. The comments earned him a rap from the BJP and he apologised for some of them. 

‘Lies, Betrayal’

Lashing out at Mr Kejriwal, Home Minister Amit Shah said he was trying to extract political mileage by making such claims.

“Can Kejriwal decide the BJP’s chief ministerial face? Who is he to make such claims?” said Mr Shah while addressing a ‘Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan’. He added that “lies, betrayal and going back on promises” are the AAP chief’s qualities.

BJP leader RP Singh reminded Mr Kejriwal of the court’s conditions while granting him bail in the Delhi liquor policy case and also spoke about the alleged extravagances at the Delhi chief minister’s bungalow, which the opposition party has derisively termed ‘Sheeshmahal’.

“Mr Kejriwal keeps talking about the chief ministerial face. That he is the chief ministerial face and who is against him. The court has said you (Mr Kejriwal) can’t be the chief minister. According to the court order, you could not sign any file as the chief minister, couldn’t go to the chief minister’s office and nor could you call a meeting as chief minister. The order is still in force, you have not got any relief,” Mr Singh said.

“And what face are you talking about? The face that gave a bottle of alcohol free on purchasing one, the face that allowed the opening of liquor shops outside schools and religious places, or the face that got commodes of gold installed (in the chief minister’s bungalow). Our face is the lotus symbol. Our workers are going to every house with the symbol and promising a clean and honest government,” he sneered.

Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva said the BJP’s elected MLAs would decide the party’s leader.

(With inputs from PTI)

New Delhi:

BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri’s sexist remark against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi is the latest flashpoint between the two political parties. In an undated video, Mr Bidhuri can be seen making a controversial statement about Ms Gandhi while talking about his party’s poll promises ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled likely next month.

Mr Bidhuri is BJP’s pick to take on Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi for the Kalkaji constituency. 

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate strongly criticised Mr Bidhuri, terming his remarks as “shameful” and accusing the BJP of harbouring an “anti-women” mindset. “Ramesh Bidhuri’s statement regarding Priyanka Gandhi is not only shameful but also shows his disgusting mentality towards women. But what else can be expected from a man who used foul language against his fellow MP in the House and did not receive any punishment? This is the real face of BJP,” Ms Shrinate said in a statement. 

BJP घोर महिला विरोधी है

रमेश बिधूड़ी का प्रियंका गांधी जी के संदर्भ में दिया बयान शर्मनाक ही नहीं उनकी औरतों के बारे में कुत्सित मानसिकता दिखाता है

लेकिन जिस आदमी ने सदन में अपने साथी सांसद को गंदी गालियां दी हों, और कोई सज़ा ना मिली हो उससे और क्या उम्मीद की जा सकती है?… pic.twitter.com/JRdC9bxzrw

— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) January 5, 2025

AAP MP Sanjay Singh also condemned Mr Bidhuri’s comments, sharing the video on X and questioning whether Delhi’s women could feel safe under BJP’s leadership. “This is BJP’s candidate. Listen to his language. This is BJP’s respect for women. Can Delhi’s women’s honour be safe in the hands of such leaders?” Mr Singh posted.

Following the backlash, Mr Bidhuri defended his comments and attacked the opposition for its “hypocrisy.” The BJP leader justified his remark by recounting a similar comment allegedly made by former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav against actor-turned-politician Hema Malini. 

“What I said, I compared it with what had been said earlier. We will reply in the language they use. Is Hema Malini not a woman? When two people make mistakes, both need to rectify. If Congress will rectify their mistake, the same will be done by us,” Mr Bidhuri claimed. 

He later took to his social media handle to express his “regret” over the remark.

“Some people are making statements on social media for political gain with a wrong perception based on a statement given by me in some context. My intention was not to insult anyone. But still, if anyone has been hurt then I express my regret,” he wrote on X. 

किसी संदर्भ में मेरे द्वारा दिये गये बयान पर कुछ लोग ग़लत धारणा से राजनैतिक लाभ के लिए सोशल मीडिया पर बयान दे रहे है। मेरा आशय किसी को अपमानित करने का नहीं था। परंतु फिर भी अगर किसी भी व्यक्ति को दुख हुआ है तो मैं खेद प्रकट करता हूँ।@JPNadda @Virend_Sachdeva @PandaJay @ANI…

— Ramesh Bidhuri (@rameshbidhuri) January 5, 2025

Mr Bidhuri was previously criticised for making Islamophobic slurs at then-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Kunwar Danish Ali (now in Congress) during a parliamentary session in 2023. Despite the outrage, Mr Bidhuri faced no significant disciplinary action from the BJP, leading opposition leaders to allege a tacit endorsement of his behaviour.

Congress leader Alka Lamba also weighed in on the Kalkaji controversy, stating, that the party will formally register an FIR against Mr Bidhuri. 

New Delhi:

As the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, some omissions stood out more than the names that made it to the list. These include firebrand leader Pragya Thakur and sitting MPs from Delhi, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri.

The three leaders have made headlines for their controversial remarks inside and outside Parliament, and the BJP’s move to drop them sends a message that the party is taking no chances ahead of an election in which it faces a joint Opposition.

In Bhopal, the BJP has replaced Pragya Thakur with Alok Sharma. An accused in the 2008 Malegaon bombings case, the firebrand leader’s nomination last time had sparked a huge row. The five years since then have seen her getting caught in several controversies. Out on bail on health grounds, Ms Thakur has been seen playing kabaddi and attending garba nights. But the controversy that may have harmed her the most is a statement in which she called Nathuram Godse, the man who shot Mahatma Gandhi dead, a “patriot”.

The remark drew a stern response from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse are very bad and very wrong for society. She has sought an apology, but I would never be able to forgive her fully,” he said. Five years on, Ms Thakur has lost her seat.

Ms Thakur was at the centre of another row for her remarks on former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who died during the 2008 terror attacks. She had said he was killed because of her “curse”. Party sources said the firebrand leader was not active in her constituency, and that played a key role in her being dropped.   

A key omission in the BJP list that surprised many was West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. A two-time MP and son of former Chief Minister, late Sahib Singh Verma, he is known to have a strong support base. But the 46-year-old leader has been in the news for his inciting remarks.

Ahead of the 2020 Delhi elections, Mr Verma had made controversial remarks during the Shaheen Bagh protest and said the demonstrators would be cleared in an hour if the BJP came to power in the national capital. 

In 2022, Mr Verma hit headlines again, this time for a public boycott call seemingly aimed at Muslims. “Wherever you see them, if you want to fix their head, if you want to set them straight, then the only cure is total boycott. Raise your hand if you agree,” the BJP MP had said.

Going into the 2024 polls, the BJP has its goals clear. It wants to keep the focus on Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ call and does not want its leaders to make statements that serve as fodder for the Opposition and embarrass the ruling party.

Another MP who may have been axed for his remarks is South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri. During a discussion in Lok Sabha in September last year, Mr Bidhuri used Islamophobic slurs for Amroha MP Danish Ali. The derogatory remarks were caught on camera and sparked a huge row. While the South Delhi MP later apologised, the BJP’s first list shows it was not enough.

The other prominent Delhi MPs who have been dropped include Meenakshi Lekhi and Harsh Vardhan. The BJP, which had won every seat in the national capital in the 2019 polls, faces a joint Opposition this time. While the AAP is contesting four seats, the Congress is fighting three. BJP stalwart late Sushma Swaraj’s daughter and lawyer Bansuri has been fielded from New Delhi.

Sources in the BJP said various factors are considered during selection of candidates. “Winnability is very important. Many MPs, it was found, were unpopular in their constituencies,” a party leader said.

“But there is no doubt that leaders such as Pragya Thakur, Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Verma embarrassed the party with their provocative statements. Denial of tickets to them also sends a message that in public life, decorum has to be maintained. In the past, the Prime Minister had warned the party leaders on several occasions that they should not make controversial statements,” the BJP leader added.

A total of 33 sitting MPs have not made it to the BJP’s first list of 195 candidates. Among the big names that have made it to the poll arena are former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

New Delhi:
The BJP and the opposition traded complaints to a parliamentary panel Thursday over MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s Islamophobic rant at BSP lawmaker Danish Ali. The BJP has claimed “indecent remarks” about Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to the vile attack.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

New Delhi:

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri – who last week hurled Islamophobic abuses and vile slurs at Bahujan Samaj Party lawmaker Kunwar Danish Ali – has been tasked with leading the party’s poll campaign in Rajasthan’s Tonk, an appointment denounced by a furious opposition as “reward for hate”.

Mr Bidhuri is from the Gurjar community and the BJP is banking on him to swing votes in the district’s four seats, one of which is held by Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot. Mr Pilot’s Tonk seat has historically alternated between the two parties; in 2013 it was won by the BJP’s Ajit Singh Mehta. The last time it retained a MLA was the BJP’s Mahaveer Prasad in 1993.

On Wednesday Mr Bidhuri attended a meeting in Jaipur chaired by the BJP’s state boss, CP Joshi.

राजस्थान प्रदेश भाजपा कार्यालय जयपुर में ज़िला टोंक की समन्वय बैठक में प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री @cpjoshiBJP जी द्वारा संगठनात्मक कार्यों व चुनाव की तैयारियों के साथ सेवा सप्ताह के कार्यक्रमों सहित आगामी कार्यकर्ताओं के प्रवास योजनाओं की जानकारी लेते हुए। pic.twitter.com/wK63ctXR6X

— Ramesh Bidhuri (@rameshbidhuri) September 27, 2023

Speaking to NDTV a day after the abuse, Mr Ali said he had been left traumatised and shaken.

“Was this special session called to attack elected MPs by linking them to their community? This has shamed the entire country. We will see whether his party will take action or promote him,” he had said.

READ |“Considering Leaving Parliament If…”: Danish Ali On BJP MP’s Remarks

Mr Bidhuri’s deployment has been criticised by the opposition, with independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal accusing the BJP of having “rewarded” Ramesh Bidhuri for his shocking outburst in Parliament.

“BJP rewards ‘hate’. Bidhuri rewarded for attacking Danish Ali (with) unspeakable words he used in the Special Session of Parliament. Made BJP in-charge of Tonk District in Rajasthan,” Mr Sibal said.

He pointed out that Muslims account for nearly 30 per cent of Tonk’s population and posted on X, “(The appointment of Ramesh Bidhuri) symbolises ‘hate’ for political dividends.”

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra also responded, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi on her X post and asking the PM “is this your Sneha Yatra (‘love outreach’) for minorities?”

READ |“Reward For Hate”: Opposition On New Poll Duty For BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri

A distraught Mr Ali on Tuesday released footage (from Parliament) of that day, in which he is responding angrily to Mr Bidhuri’s outburst. The clip was released to counter BJP lawmakers’ claims the communal slurs flung at him were because of casteist slurs against Prime Minister Modi.

In the 33-second clip shared on X (formerly Twitter), a furious Mr Ali is seen and heard defending himself after Ramesh Bidhuri’s “abuses and extreme provocation”.

READ |“How Can This Be Allowed?” Danish Ali Releases Video After BJP MP’s Attack

“What (is he) saying? Can any terrorist enter into this House? He must apologise… yeh kya hain? How can he be allowed to say this?” he demands of the Congress who was the temporary Chair.

“… I didn’t utter a single word that could harm the sanctity of the temple of democracy. Even I didn’t repeat what Ramesh Bidhuri said about me and my community…” Mr Ali wrote on X.

Despite the abuses and extreme provocation, I didn’t utter a single word that could harm the sanctity of the temple of democracy. Even I didn’t repeat what Mr @rameshbidhuri said about me and my community. Inspite of it @BJP4India is trying it’s best to create a false narrative. pic.twitter.com/yApQ6w1vJR

— Kunwar Danish Ali (@KDanishAli) September 26, 2023

Mr Bidhuri has not yet commented on this row; he has only said the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who warned him of “strict action” if he repeats such behaviour, will rule on the matter.

READ | “No Comments, Speaker Will…”: Ramesh Bidhuri On Abusing MP In Parliament

The opposition has attacked the BJP over lack of disciplinary action against Mr Bidhuri, who has so far only been served a show-cause notice. He met party boss JP Nadda in Delhi this week but details of the meeting were not released and it is unclear if the BJP plans to sanction him at all.

READ | BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri Meets JP Nadda After Party Serves Notice For Slurs

Mr Bidhuri has considerable influence among his community and the BJP appears focused now on planning and prepping for the Rajasthan Assembly election due later this year.

On Monday Danish Ali questioned delay in action against Ramesh Bidhuri and said he feared the vulgar comments were part of a plan by the BJP to “build a new narrative” against Muslims in India.

READ | “Creating Narrative For My Lynching”: MP Danish Ali On BJP Leader’s Letter

On the Nadda-Bidhuri meeting he said, “If they would have been sincere in taking action, why would they be calling him… what proof do they need, everything is on record…”

New Delhi:

Amid the row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks in the Lok Sabha, BSP MP Danish Ali on Monday questioned the “delay” in action against the leader of the ruling party and alleged that the comments seem to have been sanctioned by the BJP’s top leadership to build a narrative around him and his community.

Mr Ali also claimed that evidence was being “dug up” against him from that day when the incident took place.

Mr Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks targeting Ali during a discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission in the Lok Sabha last Thursday have sparked a furore, with opposition leaders calling for stringent action against the BJP MP.

“There is delay in taking action, and evidence is being dug up against me from that day (when Bidhuri made the remarks). I challenge that if there is any evidence against me, then put it forward,” the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP told PTI.

“The pathshala that Danish Ali has studied in did not teach hatred. This is your (BJP) behaviour, your culture. The prime minister had said on the first day in the new Parliament building that people ‘will identify you with your behaviour and decide accordingly on which side of the Parliament one will sit’. The people of the country have seen the behaviour of the BJP,” Mr Ali said.

On his future course of action, the Amroha MP hoped action will be taken and said it should be taken. Anyone who has faith in democracy wants that action is taken, he added.

Asked about Mr Bidhuri meeting BJP chief JP Nadda at the party’s headquarters, Ali said, “If they (the BJP) would have been sincere in taking action, why would they be calling him and asking, everything is on record. Is there a conspiracy to build a new narrative.”

“What proof do they need, everything is on record. From the last two days, it seems that there was a sanction from the BJP’s top leadership for this that ‘you say this’, there is a reaction and a different narrative can be run around me and my community,” he said.

On BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s critical comments against him, Ali said, “Are you talking about the same person who is the molester of women wrestlers. He has been chargesheeted by the Delhi Police. Will he teach us what should be done. People have elected us and we always raise valid points.”

The BSP leader was referring to the sexual harassment case lodged by women wrestlers against Singh, a former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Asked about the allegations by several BJP leaders that he indulges in “running commentary” in the House and disturbs them, the BSP leader said this is Parliament and not “the gurukul or the laboratory of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi”.

“We are in a parliamentary democracy. People have elected us and have given us the role of sitting in the opposition. So, I carry out the responsibility of an MP of the opposition,” he asserted.

Mr Ali said he has been raising important points in the Lok Sabha and pointed out that when the no-confidence motion was being discussed, a scroll was being run on Sansad TV on the government’s achievements, and he had flagged the issue. The Chair then accepted it and it was corrected, he added.

The no-confidence motion was brought against the government in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

Opposition parties have rallied around Ali and targeted the BJP on its MP’s remarks.

Several members of the Congress, TMC and NCP among others have written to Speaker Om Birla seeking the strictest action against Mr Bidhuri.

New Delhi:

Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali has made a serious allegation against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over the controversy surrounding the communal comments in the Lok Sabha by Ramesh Bidhuri, another BJP MP.

Mr Dubey, while condemning the comments by his party colleague, also alleged that Mr Ali used casteist slur against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which provoked Mr Bidhuri to lash out at the leader from Mayawati’s party.

“No civilised society can accept the statement given by Ramesh Vidhuri ji in the Lok Sabha as correct… But the Lok Sabha Speaker should also investigate the indecent words and conduct of Danish Ali,” Mr Dubey said in a post on X.

“According to the rules and procedures of the Lok Sabha, interrupting an MP during the scheduled time, speaking while sitting… also comes under the ambit of punishment. I have been an MP for the past 15 years. I stay in the house for the longest time, from opening of the Lok Sabha till its closing. I never thought I would see such a day,” Mr Dubey posted in Hindi.

रमेश विधुडी जी के लोकसभा में दिए बयान को कोई भी सभ्य समाज ठीक नहीं कह सकता,इसकी जितनी निंदा की जाए कम है लेकिन @loksabhaspeaker जी को सांसद दानिश अली के भी अमर्यादित शब्दों व आचरण की जॉंच करनी चाहिए ।लोकसभा की नियम प्रक्रियाओं के तहत किसी सांसद के निर्धारित समय के बीच टोकना,बैठे…

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) September 23, 2023

Responding to the allegation, Mr Ali the said goal behind the comment by the BJP MP was to enable his “physical lynching outside the house” since “verbal lynching” had already happened inside.

“BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s letter (to Lok Sabha Speaker) is to create a narrative pertaining to my lynching outside the house as my verbal lynching already took place,” Mr Ali told news agency PTI today.

During a discussion on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Mr Bidhuri had used a string of objectionable and communal words against the BSP MP, triggering disgust and widespread condemnation both from politicians and people on social media.

On Friday, the BJP also issued a show cause notice to Mr Bidhuri and asked him to explain his conduct.

Mr Bidhuri alleged that when he was speaking, the BSP MP was “busy instigating” him and also – at the top of his voice – made a “highly objectionable and blasphemous remark” against PM Modi.