Mahua Moitra uses cuss word in Parliament, defends it later
What's the story
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra said on Wednesday that she stood by her recent use of an expletive against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri in Parliament amid demands for an apology from her.
"I've called an apple, an apple and I stand by it," Moitra was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
Quotes
Even Hardeep Puri used expletive against Dr Santanu Sen: Moitra
While speaking to the media outside Parliament, the TMC leader stated: "This is a gentleman who has called farmers 'pimps'. It is on record, I have tweeted the video."
"The Honorable Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri, in the Rajya Sabha, called Dr. Santanu Sen an absolutely offensive word," Moitra further added.
Know more
Not first time expletives have been used in Parliament: Moitra
Defending her action, Moitra also asked if she needed to be a "man to give it back as good as it gets?"
"This is not the first time that expletives or harsh words have been used in Parliament, and what makes me laugh is that the BJP is saying Yeh mahila hokar kaise yeh word use ki," the TMC MP added.
Twitter Post
Video of Moitra defending her remarks on BJP's Bidhuri
#WATCH | I'm surprised BJP is teaching us parliamentary etiquette. That representative from Delhi heckled me...I'll call an apple an apple, not an orange...if they'll take me to the privileges committee, I'll put my side of the story...: TMC MP Mahua Moitra on her language in LS pic.twitter.com/R8CMa5akGJ
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2023
Response
Hema Malini's reaction to Moitra's remarks on Bidhuri
Meanwhile, BJP MP Hema Malini responded to Moira's remarks, stating that all Parliament members are respectable individuals.
"They should control their tongue. They should not get over-excited and emotional," Malini told reports on Wednesday.
"By nature, she (Mahua Moitra) must be like that. I don't know," the BJP leader further added on the topic.
What happened?
Here's what reportedly triggered Moitra's reaction in Parliament
On Tuesday, Moitra got into a verbal spat with Bidhuri during a discussion in Parliament that saw the Opposition target the Narendra Modi-led government over claims of alleged ties with the Adani Group.
While claiming she was heckled and her speech was intentionally disrupted, Moitra was seen hurling abuse at Bidhuri while Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu was speaking.
Past incident
Past controversy involving Moitra
This is not the first time the TMC leader has been involved in a controversy.
Moitra made headlines in 2015 when she gave news anchor Arnab Goswami the middle finger on air while discussing the 'attempt to murder' charge filed against the man who slapped West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
Know more
Moitra showed middle finger to Arnab Goswami
During a debate, the TMC leader kept telling Goswami to let her finish her words. However, she soon lost her cool and told the anchor to talk to himself and not invite anybody on the show.
"Arnab, keep talking. This is a one-man show," she told the anchor while raising her middle finger.