New Delhi: Samajwadi Party member Azam Khan on Monday apologised in Lok Sabha for his sexist remarks against BJP member Rama Devi.
Devi was officiating the House on Thursday last when Khan made the objectionable remarks against her sparking an uproar in the House.
As soon as Lok Sabha met after the weekend break, Speaker Om Birla allowed Khan to speak in the House.
“I have been an MLA for nine times, a minister several times, a Rajya Sabha member too. I was a Parliamentary Affairs Minister too. I know legislative procedures,” he said.
“However, if my words hurt anyone, I hereby apologise,” he said.
A some of his words were not audible, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Khan should repeat the sentence again as the House could not comprehend what he actually said.
With this, SP president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was sitting next to Khan, stood up to say that the Rampur MP had already apologised in the House in proper words and he can vouch for it.
Yadav also referred to the Unnao rape survivor, who had met with an accident yesterday and was hospitalised, and said the House should also talk about it, inviting loud protests from treasury benches.
A BJP MLA is an accused in the rape case.
Devi said Khan has the habit of uttering derogatory words against women and had done so on many occasions in the past outside the House. Now he has said them inside the House, she said.
After this, the Speaker asked Khan to tender the apology again.
Khan repeated the words and said Devi was like his sister.
“If my word hurts hurt anyone, I apologise,” he said.
Azam’s remarks to Devi during a discussion on the triple talaq bill were slammed by members as double-meaning, malicious, utterly condemnable and a blot on all legislators.
The speaker said members should be careful in uttering words and maintain decorum so that no such incident takes place in the future.
“This House belongs to all members. This can can be run only with the cooperation of members. The chair belongs to you all too and its dignity should be maintained. We all should be careful in uttering words and ensure that no such incident takes place in the future,” he said.
Also read: MPs condemn Azam Khan’s ‘malicious’ comments against BJP’s Rama Devi, demand action