Cutting across party lines, members in Lok Sabha on Friday condemned the sexist remarks by SP's Azam Khan against Bihar MP Rama Devi and demanded exemplary action against him. The Lok Sabha is likely to pass a resolution authorising the speaker to take "exemplary" action against Azam Khan for his remarks.
During the Zero Hour, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said the remarks of Khan in the Lok Sabha on Thursday during the debate of Triple Talaq Bill were a "blot" on all legislators, including men. "This is a blot on all legislators including men. We cannot remain silent spectators to it. We have to speak in one voice that this is unacceptable," Irani said.
Supporting Irani, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said either Khan should tender an apology or he should be suspended from the House. Several other women MPs expressed unhappiness over Azam Khan's remarks and demanded that the Speaker take strict action against him.
Speaker Om Birla said he will hold a meeting with leaders of all parties and then take a decision.
The incident
The incident took place while the Lok Sabha was in session on Thursday. 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 acrimonious scenes.
Rama Devi later directed that Khan's remark be removed from the records. She, however, said she is like his (Azam Khan's) younger sister. 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". SP chief Akhilesh Yadav rose to defend Khan. Meanwhile, Speaker Om Birla took over the proceedings.
Not the first
It is not the first time that Azam Khan has found himself in a soup over his sexist remarks against the opposite gender. During the Lok Sabha poll campaign, Khan had made objectionable remarks against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada who contested on a BJP ticket. The police lodged an FIR against Khan for insulting the modesty of a woman.
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Khan’s son had also made sexist remarks about Jaya Prada ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Earlier in 2009, too, the MP had targeted Jaya Prada.
"#AzamKhan again did what he is good at..misbehaving and using inappropriate language for women and this time with none other than woman sitting on speaker's chair in parliament. I strongly condemn his disgraceful and sexist remark. He must get disqualified from Parliament," Home Minister Amit Shah posted on Twitter after the incident on Thursday.
"Shame on Azam Khan. Such lecherous comment against MP sitting on Speaker Chair. A man with such notorious reputation of vile speech against women has no right to be in Parliament. When will Centre create law to arrest such politicians? Send this man 2 mental asylum and then jail!" Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)