Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan Directed to Apologise for His Sexist Remarks in Parliament

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan was directed to apologise in the Lok Sabha for his sexist and misogynistic remarks made during a debate on the Triple Talaq Bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Friday.

In a meeting of floor leaders of all parties chaired by the Lok Sabha Speaker, it was decided that Khan should apologise or face action. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will ask Khan to tender an apology.

"The Speaker will ask Azam Khan to apologise over his comments made against Rama Devi without any condition in the House. If he does not do so, the Speaker has been authorised to take action against him," Joshi said.

On Friday evening, sources said the Lok Sabha speaker's office reached out to Khan and informed him to appear before Om Birla on Monday. If Khan fails to apologise, a resolution authorising the Speaker to take 'exemplary action' against him will be passed, they added.

Azam's remarks aimed at BJP MP Rama Devi, when she was in the Chair on Thursday, were slammed as double-meaning, malicious, utterly condemnable and a blot on all legislators by ministers and MPs in the Lower House on Friday. Politicians cutting across party lines had demanded an apology from Khan.

Raking up the sexist remark, Textiles minister Smriti Irani said that women, regardless of their party affiliations, cannot be insulted. She further warned Khan that he can't misbehave and get away. "If these comments were made outside, police would have arrested him," Irani said in the Lok Sabha.

Rama Devi, the target of Khan's remarks, demanded that he be dismissed from the Lok Sabha as he has “never respected women”.

“He has never respected women, we all know what he had said about Jaya Prada ji. He has no right to stay in Lok Sabha, I will request Speaker to dismiss him. Azam Khan must apologise,” Devi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Several members from various parties, including the BJP, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), had urged the House to send a strong message against such conduct.(With inputs from PTI)