New Delhi [India], December 12: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday condemned the controversial remarks made by TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee about Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and urged members to refrain from personal comments about any caste, community, or gender during their speeches.
“Whatever happened in the House yesterday was extremely inappropriate, and no comment should be made on any respected member, particularly women. Such comments are not in accordance with the dignity of the House. I request all members to refrain from personal comments on any caste, community, women, or men in their speeches,” Om Birla said. He also noted that Kalyan Banerjee had apologized for his comments both in the House and in writing.
The controversy unfolded on Wednesday during a heated argument in Parliament between BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia and TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, as they debated the Disaster Management Bill. Banerjee made personal accusations, including a controversial remark about Scindia, which triggered outrage among BJP women MPs. They called for Banerjee’s expulsion from the House.
Banerjee later apologized for his remarks, but Scindia rejected the apology, stating that the comments were “an attack on women of India.” The Lok Sabha Speaker subsequently expunged the controversial remarks.
Banerjee clarified to ANI that his comments were not aimed at women but specifically targeted Jyotiraditya Scindia, adding, “I have apologized for that.”
Meanwhile, BJP women MPs lodged a complaint with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, condemning Banerjee’s comments.
In another development, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma criticized the Opposition for submitting a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, accusing the INDIA bloc of lacking leadership. “It is typical of the Congress party to make baseless allegations. The allies of the Congress also speak its language. The Opposition is functioning without leadership, which is why they get caught in the web of lies of Congress,” Sharma said.
The INDIA bloc submitted the no-confidence motion on December 10, claiming it was necessary to “safeguard democracy and the Constitution.”
The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on November 25, has seen frequent adjournments, with Opposition members calling for discussions on issues such as the Adani issue, the Manipur situation, and Sambhal violence. Meanwhile, the Treasury benches have been pushing for a debate on alleged links between Congress and George Soros. The session will continue until December 20.