Attire remark row: Sushmita Dev moves counter privilege notice against John Brittas

Taking a serious view of the exchange, the Chairman issued a formal observation, urging members to maintain decorum and respect regional sensibilities. Amid uproar from both sides, the House was adjourned till 2 pm.

Earlier, speaking on the incident in Rajya Sabha, Brittas asserted his pride in his regional identity and criticised the use of stereotypes in parliamentary discourse. “The other day, while I was speaking in the House, she made a derogatory remark … against me… I feel that the House should take a view on this,” the MP from Kerala said.

“I cherish every moment being Malayali … When I retire from this House, the biggest takeaway will be diversity,” he added, alleging that Dev had repeatedly interrupted him on Tuesday while he was fulfilling his duty of reading a resolution against a Bill.

Responding to the allegations, Leader of the House J P Nadda said the remarks of Brittas have come on record and Dev should also be allowed to speak, while distancing the government from such statements. “We do not subscribe to such statements…,” he said. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that since allegations were made against a specific member, she too should be heard.

Meanwhile, the Chair said, “Certain instances have come to my notice regarding discourteous and undignified comments being made by Members interrupting the speech of other members in the House. I would advise that Hon’ble members should be careful not to hurt the sentiments and feelings of fellow members.” The chairman asked the members concerned to come to his chamber to resolve the matter and ensure the smooth functioning of the House.

When the House resumed, Dev sought to put her position on record and moved a breach of privilege motion against Brittas, pointing out certain remarks he made on the microphone on Tuesday on members who had changed parties and also related to their religious beliefs.

“I am a Bengali from Assam. I have seen different states where we wear different attires and clothes. Neither I nor any members have cast aspersions on any state’s attire. I wanted to put that on record,” she said, adding no message from the Rajya Sabha should seek to divide India culturally or on the basis of religion.

Leader of the House J P Nadda also offered to resolve the “misunderstanding” between the two MPs. “If both MPs come to my chamber this misunderstanding can be resolved,” Nadda said. Sources said that both the MPs concerned held separate discussions over the matter with Nadda and Rijiju.

Outside the chamber, several Opposition MPs criticised the remark, saying it amounted to an insult to Indian and South Indian culture. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “It has become BJP’s culture to question and insult someone’s attire.” CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar called Dev’s remarks an insult to every Indian.

Congress’s Christopher Tilak called it an insult to South Indian culture. “It is not just about attire,” he said, adding the incident reflected the BJP’s attitude towards regions outside the Hindi-speaking belt.