Speaker to warn Azam Khan: Apologise, or I’ll take action

New Delhi: Embattled Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan will be asked by Speaker Om Birla to apologise for his sexist remarks against BJP legislator Rama Devi, and if he fails to do so, the Speaker will be authorised to take action against him, sources said.

This was decided at a meeting convened by the Speaker with the floor leaders of all parties on Friday. Mr Birla will ask Azam Khan to apologise on the floor of the House for his sexist remarks against the BJP’s Rama Devi. The development took place after all members in the Lok Sabha, cutting across party lines, on Friday criticised Mr Khan’s controversial remarks and sought exemplary action against him. Some MPs had even demanded his suspension.

Ms Rama Devi said he should be suspended from the Lok Sabha for the entire five years. In a tweet, BSP supremo Mayawati said the SP MP should not only apologise in Parliament but also to all women.

Mr Khan made the comments on Thursday during the discussion on the triple talaq bill in the Lower House when Ms Rama Devi was in the Chair. Incidentally, the controversial remarks were on Friday expunged from the records. While the comments had led to a furore in the Lower House on Thursday itself, even though Mr Khan later said the BJP MP was like his sister, on Friday, as soon as Zero Hour began, BJP MP from Badaun Sanghamitra Maurya raised the issue.

Several members, including from the BJP, Congress, NCP, Trinamul Congress, DMK and BJD, said a strong message should be sent by the House against such conduct.

Many women MPs across party lines also wrote to the Speaker demanding stringent action against Mr Khan.

During Zero Hour, textiles minister Smriti Irani said Mr Khan’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on Thursday were a “blot” on all legislators, including men. “This is a blot on all legislators, including men,” she said, and attacked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for supporting Mr Khan in the House on Thursday after the row erupted.

It was repugnant that a leader stood in solidarity with a “lech”, she said. Mr Khan and Akhilesh Yadav were not present in the House.

If Mr Khan made these comments outside Parliament, the police would have come to the woman’s rescue, Ms Irani said, urging all parties to rise above political differences and urged Speaker Om Birla to take action.

A member cannot abuse the privilege Parliament gives him to make such comments and get away, the minister said. After hearing members for nearly an hour, Speaker Om Birla said he would hold a meeting with the leaders of all political parties and take a decision.

Declaring that his party was against any misbehaviour with women, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury referred to his party leader Sonia Gandhi being called an “Italian puppet and daughter of Italy” in the past, which drew strong protests from the treasury benches, who said the issue should not be politicised.

Mr Chowdhury said the person at the centre of the issue should also be heard, referring to Azam Khan. He said the matter could be sent to privilege or ethics committee. He later agreed with the prevailing view that the Speaker should take a call.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman wondered why there was a “dilemma” and “hesitation” in taking a stand on the issue, in an apparent dig at the Opposition party, which objected to her remarks.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said either Mr Khan should tender an apology or he should be suspended from the House. TMC member Kalyan Banerjee said a person who does not show respect to women does not know Indian culture. NCP’s Supriya Sule said she hung her head in shame over Mr Khan’s offensive language and called for strict punishment.

Actor and TMC member Mimi Chakraborty, a first-time MP, said whatever happened on Thursday was shameful and cannot be part of her learning exercise.