Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan speaking at Lok Sabha during the Budget session at the Parliament House in New De... Read More

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan found himself in the middle of a controversy after his sexist remark directed at BJP's Rama Devi , who was in the presiding officer's chair in the Lok Sabha , set off an uproar with demands that the Rampur MP apologise.

Taking part in the debate on the bill to make triple talaq a punishable offence, he referred to the intervention of minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and read out a couplet, "... tu idhar-udhar ki baat na kar (do not divert from the topic)."

Rama Devi asked Khan not to "look here and there" and address the Chair. Khan then made a sexist remark. While BJP MPs protested and sought an apology, Rama Devi directed Khan's remark be removed from the records. She, however, said she was like his (Khan's) sister.

Khan's remark infuriated law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and junior parliamentary affairs minister Arjun 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".

Speaker Om Birla asked the MP to apologise. But Khan said he felt humiliated and walked out even as his party chief Akhilesh Yadav tried to pacify him. The House witnessed another round of disorder after Akhilesh, in his attempt to clarify Khan's reference, termed members of the treasury benches "badtameez (mannerless)". Later, he said such a term was used against him. On this, the Speaker asked him which member had used the term.

Akhilesh did not respond to the question and regretted his reference. The Speaker took objection and reminded him to be mindful of unparliamentary language. As the Speaker listened to both sides, BSP's Danish Ali walked out, saying he was not allowed to speak. Khan joined him, saying he could not speak when he was insulted.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it was unfortunate if members of the minority community leftwhen the triple talaq bill was being discussed. But the Speaker said the remarks created a poor impression of Parliament.



In Video: Akhilesh Yadav defends Azam Khan over controversial remarks against BJP MP Rama Devi