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New Delhi: 

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s charge that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called him a “Bihari Gunda” thrice during a meeting has seeded an ugly row within the parliamentary group for IT. Mr Dubey raised his allegation in the Lok Sabha today and said he had not experienced anything like this “in my life”.

“I want to draw attention of all members of this House. This is my 13th year as an MP and the way I was called ”Bihari Goonda” at the parliamentary committee meeting yesterday by a woman, by Trinamool Congress, I have not seen this in my life. What is our fault? Our fault is to develop this country. We have worked as labourers, as Hindi-speaking people, whether from Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh… we have worked hard. We have learnt lessons from Lord Ram,” the BJP leader said, shouting over opposition protests over a range of subjects.

The MP had earlier taken his complaint to Speaker Om Birla, but Mahua Moitra has denied the allegation, saying she is accused of using the slur during a meeting that never took place.

“TMC is allergic to all the Hindi-speaking people. That’s why they called me ‘Bihari Gunda’. This is an attack on Bihar’s pride. I have submitted all the facts to the Speaker. She (Mahua Moitra) should apologise,” Mr Dubey said on Wednesday.

He also posted a tweet tagging Trinamool chief and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee: “The way your MP abused me using the words Bihar goonda, your party’s hatred towards north Indians and Hindi-speaking people has been exposed before the country.”

Ms Moitra responded in a tweet: “Am a bit amused by charges of name-calling. IT meeting did not happen because NO quorum – members did not attend. How can I call someone a name who was not even present!! Check attendance sheet!”

The Trinamool MP’s tweet tags Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram and Nasir Hussain and another Trinamool MP, Nadimul Haq.

The alleged name-calling has drawn a reaction even from the opposition. “It is saddening if someone has said such a thing. One must refrain from making such comments,” said Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.

BJP leaders yesterday boycotted the IT committee meeting and refused to sign the attendance register.

This adds to the controversy in the IT panel over Mr Dubey’s demand for the removal of Shashi Tharoor as its chief.

The BJP MP moved a privilege motion against Mr Tharoor yesterday and said he should be removed from as chairman of the Standing Committee on IT.

Mr Dubey writes in his letter to the Speaker: “Needless to say that this ”gentleman” has not only disrobed the democratic functioning of an August Committee but also exhibited an extreme high level of sycophancy towards his political masters, who still have a false notion of ruling our country and its democratic institutions by way of destroying them bit-by-bit and also creating a ruckus through their cronies like the present Chairperson of the Committee on Information Technology.”

The meeting of the committee to discuss the Pegasus scandal, involving allegations of Israeli Pegasus spyware allegedly used to snoop on opposition politicians, two Union Ministers and 40 journalists, was cancelled because there weren’t enough members.

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