Ramesh slams ex-ministers for laughing during Bidhuri incident in Parliament

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has hit out at former Union ministers and BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan for laughing while their party MP Ramesh Bidhuri used highly derogatory and communal language against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali, saying they deserve more condemnation and "this is the shameful level to which the saffron party under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah has fallen".

Criticising the BJP leaders, Ramesh, who is Congress general secretary communications in-charge, said: "Two former Union cabinet ministers, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dr Harsh Vardhan, shamelessly gleeful at the hate speech made by their party colleague Ramesh Bidhuri yesterday in the Lok Sabha. They deserve as much condemnation as the most awful Bidhuri himself. This is the shameful level to which BJP under Modi-Shah has fallen."

He also attached the picture of the two leaders laughing while Bidhuri made derogatory comments against Ali, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha.

Earlier in the day, Ali wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer his case to the Privilege Committee and also urged him to order an inquiry into the matter.

Ramesh has demanded Bidhuri's suspension from Parliament, saying that the language used by him "should not be used inside or outside Parliament".

On Friday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took "serious note" of objectionable comments made by Bidhuri in the House and warned him of "strict action" if such behaviour is repeated in future.