Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury bangs placard in front of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, she sends him out

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BJP MP Arjun Ram Meghwal proposed a motion to suspend Adhir for the remainder of the session, which led to Congress protests. “You must keep in mind, Sumitra Mahajan the person has not been insulted here. It is the chair that has been insulted,” he said.

The TMC’s Saugata Roy in particular pleaded with the Speaker to not single out one MP when so many MPs were protesting. “Madam, you are the Speaker, the custodian of the House. That should be good enough. You can call him and say: ‘Mr Chowdhury, are you sorry for what happened?’ He can say: ‘Yes, Madam, I am sorry.’ The matter can end there.”

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Speaker to give Adhir a chance to explain himself. When given a chance to speak, Adhir equated the Speaker with the Pope and Parliament with the Vatican. “Today, I can perceive that you have been hurt, and the House may have been hurt by my behaviour, I do not know but the fact is that you have to consider the prevailing situation…” he began. Mahajan interjected saying he had not been given a chance to deliver a speech. “If you do not want to say sorry, you can sit down.” Adhir  then said, “…Once I found that I had been debarred from participating in the legislative business, I got agitated. But I regret it… I am begging unqualified apology to you,” he said.

The Speaker replied, “You are telling me a story instead of apologising? You must learn how to apologise.” She then addressed Roy. “Do you see what is happening? I’m being told that I’m being harsh,” she said adding that Adhir was saying sorry by wielding a sword at her.

While Venkaiah Naidu and Kharge argued, Adhir got up again and said he had already apologised, to which Mahajan shot back, “No, you have not.”

As Adhir said, “I have already begged unqualified apologies from you. If you need, I will do it once again,” Mahajan replied, “I do not need anything from you. It is not me who want anything from you… Since you do not seem to mean your apology from the heart, I would say it’s best if you don’t apologise… But at least for today, Mr Chowdhury should leave the House.”