Pralhad Joshi seeks apology after Mahua Moitra uses offensive word in Parl

Senior BJP leader Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday demanded an apology to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after the party MP Mahua Moitra used an 'offensive' word on the floor of the House during the ongoing Budget Session in Parliament.

"I would ask them to apologise but if she doesn't, then it's their culture," Pralhad Joshi said.

Moitra uttered an 'offensive word' in Lok Sabha as TDP MP K Ram Mohan Naidu was addressing the House during the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.

She allegedly used some unparliamentary language regarding BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri as per the eyewitnesses. After which, BJP MPs started a ruckus in the Lower House.

Taking to Twitter, BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar posted the video wherein Joshi is demanding an apology from the TMC.

Calling it "disgusting", Majumdar said, "Look at her sarcastic smile. Disgusting. Will @MamataOfficial still defend her?"

While participating during the Motion of Thanks, Moitra raised several issues including China, Pegasus, BBC, Morbi, Rafale and Adani issue.

"Today I say this with a very heavy heart. The Lok Sabha is a space which stands out more for what cannot be said in its halls than what we can say. The list of unmentionables is actually far longer than the list of mentionable. It is as though the treasury benches get training in a special camp that teaches them to react hysterically the very instant a member of the Opposition utters certain words, no matter in what context. We cannot say China, Pegasus, BBC, Morbi, Rafale, and sometimes we cannot say Modi ji. The President's Address speaks about the biggest pain of our country, the corruption and crony capitalism," she said.

Making an apparent reference to Adani describing him as Mr 'A' in the House, Moitra said that he has fooled the government.

"Prime Minister, this man Mr 'A' has fooled (topi pehnaoed) you. He travels with you on your delegations. He meets heads of state on visits to India. He portrays that India is Prime Minister and the Prime Minister is him. He makes it appear to the world that he is the remote control behind the Prime Minister and by obliging him will be obliging the Prime Minister," she said.

"Everyone is asking who is behind Mahua. Every day, the fake news brigade floats new theories. Is it an American investment bank? Is it Ambani, or is it China? Nobody is behind Mahua. Mahua is behind the truth," she asserted.

As BJP leaders created uproar in the House over her remark and sought an apology from her. Alleging that she was interrupted during her address, the TMC MP said, "I need to repeat it as they are doing this to heckle me and to ruin the flow of the speech...Mahua is only behind the truth."

Hitting out at the BJP MPs, the TMC leader said that they are taught to "react hysterically" the moment an Opposition MP addresses the House.