Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan on Thursday courted controversy the umpteenth time as he yet again made a sexist remark, this time against none other than the officiating Speaker of the Lok Sabha itself - BJP MP Rama Devi.
While it led to an uproar and demands for his apology, the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) condemned Khan's comment, dubbing it “lecherous and disgraceful” and sought the Speaker to act against him.
Participating in the debate on the triple talaq Bill, Khan referred to the intervention of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and read out a couplet “... Tu idhar-udhar ki baat na kar ...” (do not divert from the topic).
At this, Rama Devi, who was presiding over the proceedings, asked Khan not to “look here and there” and address the Chair. To this, the SP member made a sexist remark at the Chair, triggering high drama, one that even saw former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav getting drawn as he sought to defend his party colleague Khan. This week, Khan was in news as the UP police lodged three FIRs against him in connection with land encroachment cases.
Khan had just recently while campaigning for the national elections made certain objectionable remarks targeted at his former colleague-turned-BJP candidate Jaya Prada. The Election Commission had barred him from campaigning for 48 hours for his indecent and derogatory remarks.
Khan's remark infuriated union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Arjun Ram Meghwal as they urged the Chair to ask him to apologise. When Khan was asked to do so by Rama Devi, he said he meant no disrespect to her as she was like his “dear sister”.
As Akhilesh rose to defend Khan, Speaker Om Birla took over the proceedings. Yadav said there was no intention to malign the Chair, sparking further protests by the BJP members. He then made a remark on the conduct of BJP members to which the Speaker took objection and chided him to be mindful of words which were unparliamentary.
He also asked the SP chief, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, to apologise. But Yadav said the word he used was first used by the treasury benches. The Speaker asked him to point out the member who used the term and asked the SP leader to apologise.
“It is very easy for all of you to demand 'expunge this, expunge that', but why should the need to expunge arise at all? Once a remark is made, it is already in the public domain. Therefore, we all should speak keeping the dignity of Parliament in mind,” said the Speaker.
Khan said he has spent a long time in politics and if he has used any unparliamentary language, he is ready to resign “immediately”.
As the Speaker listened to both sides, Danish Ali (BSP) walked out of the House, saying he was not allowed to speak. Khan joined him in the walkout, saying he cannot speak when he was being insulted. Later, members of the SP and BSP walked out.
National Commission For Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma said Khan should be disqualified from Parliament.