It's been more than a month now since the Lok Sabha Committee on Privileges met to consider charges arising out of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's use of communal slurs against fellow parliamentarian Danish Ali, during a special session of the House, with the next meeting still awaited. In contrast, the Ethics Committee examining the favours-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, wrapped up its proceedings and recommended her expulsion all within 23 days. At the last hearing of the privileges panel, on October 10, Bidhuri had given oral evidence, getting permission to skip his October 11 appearance as he was busy in poll-related work of the BJP in Rajasthan. He had said he would appear before the panel after that. But, 34 days have passed, and the committee has not met again. Sources told The Indian Express that the committee, which usually meets once or twice a month, has not yet fixed a date for the next meeting. Neither has it summoned Ali, the complainant against Bidhuri. The BJP had also filed a counter appeal against Ali in the case. The purported reason for the privileges panel not meeting is the string of holidays, starting with Dussehra and Diwali, and now extending to Chhath, making the availability of members an issue. Sources said the committee would fix a date for its next meeting after the Chhath festival, and will then decide when to call Ali. It will also summon Bidhuri for cross-examination on his oral evidence. On September 22, during a discussion on Chandrayaan 3 in the Lok Sabha while the special session was on, Bidhuri had used objectionable remarks against Ali, which were expunged by the Speaker from the records. In his letter to the Speaker, Ali said the BJP South Delhi MP had called him “bhadwa (pimp), “katwa (circumcised one)” and “Mullah aatankwadi (Muslim terrorist)”. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was present in the House, had apologised for Bidhuri’s remarks. The next day, while Ali and many Opposition leaders had sought action against Bidhuri, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had claimed that the BSP MP had instigated Bidhuri into making the remarks, and said that there should be an enquiry into statements by him and other Opposition leaders. The entire matter was then referred to the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha. Pointing out that “the first and last meeting of the privileges panel had been held on October 10”, Ali told The Indian Express: “There can’t be two yardsticks. The ethics and privileges committee are controlled by the same section of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. And both the committees are headed by BJP members. In one committee, everything was fast-tracked, like a bullet train. And in another case, the case was referred in September, and we are in November, and nothing has happened… Here they did not give Mahua Moitra exemption for two days, another member, Uttam Reddy, one day to file his nomination… The same speed should have been seen in both the cases.” While questioning the ethics panel's functioning, Moitra had pointed out that it had summoned those who made the accusations against her, before calling her. The privileges panel, she said, had followed the correct procedure and first questioned the accused (Bidhuri). The privileges panel has 14 members currently – including BJP MPs Sunil Kumar Singh (who heads it), Raju Bista, Dilip Ghosh, Chandra Prakash Joshi, Naranbhai Kacchadia, Rajiv Pratap Singh Rudy, Janardan Singh Sigriwal and Ganesh Singh; T R Baalu (DMK); Kalyan Banerjee (TMC); Suresh Kodikunnil (Congress); Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Shiv Sena); Talari Rangaiah (YSRCP); and Achyutananda Samanta (BJD).
