india

Updated: Jul 26, 2019 20:26 IST

Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party lawmaker, who ignited a firestorm in parliament with his sexist comment during a debate on triple talaq, will be told to apologise or face action. The decision to seek his apology was taken at Speaker Om Birla’s meeting with leaders of key political parties.

The decision will be formally conveyed by the Speaker who had responded to calls for action against Azam Khan with a promise to call the meeting. Lawmakers from across party lines had earlier in the day expressed outrage at the UP politician’s choice of words during the debate on the triple talaq bill on Thursday.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters that the Speaker would ask Azam Khan to tender an unconditional apology on the floor of the House.

“The Speaker will ask Azam Khan to apologise over his comments made against Rama Devi without any condition in the House. If he does not do so, the Speaker has been authorised to take action against him,” Pralhad Joshi said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

Azam Khan had refused to take the hint when Rama Devi had asked him to apologise.

Rama Devi, who was officiating as the Chair in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the triple talaq bill, had asked Khan to address the Chair when the UP politician made the offensive remark. Khan insisted that he was ready to resign if any remark was found to be objectionable.

A large number of MPs spoke out against his remarks on Friday, signalling what they thought about his remarks.

A three-time lawmaker from Bihar, Rama Devi, told news agency ANI today that she had tried to stop Azam Khan but he wasn’t ready to listen.

“Everyone knows that Azam Khan disrespects women…. I will request Speaker to dismiss him or he must apologize,” she told ANI. It isn’t clear if she did meet the Speaker to place the demand.