Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, known to court controversies with his colourful remarks, created a stir in Parliament on Thursday during debate on triple talaq bill with his remark on BJP lawmaker Rama Devi who was in the chair at that time.

“I like you so much that I feel like looking into your eyes all the time,” the lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh was quoted by ANI as saying. The comment was greeted with protests by Lok Sabha MPs who wanted Khan to apologise

Rama Devi, replying to Khan said: “This is not the way to speak, please expunge these remarks.” Azam Khan then replied “You are very respected, you are like my sister.”

After Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla returned to the House, he said Azam Khan should apologise.

“It is very easy for all of you to demand ‘expunge this expunge that’, but why should the need to expunge arise at all? Once a remark is given, it is already in public domain. Therefore, we all should speak keeping the dignity of the Parliament in mind,” Birla said.

Khan, whose name was recently put on an online list of land mafias by Rampur administration, said he was ready to tender his resignation if it is proved that he had said anything that was unparliamentary. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav came to Azam Khan’s defence and said the BJP also indulged in ‘indecent language’ in Parliament.

“I don’t think Azam Khan ji meant any disrespect to the chair(Rama Devi). These( BJP MPs) people are so rude, who are they to raise fingers? Akhilesh Yadav said. Azam Khan and Akhliesh Yadav later walked out of the Lok Sabha.

In the run up to Lok Sabha elections, Khan got into trouble over his comments on his opponent Jaya Prada and was barred from campaigning for 72 hours by the EC.

“I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I did not allow anyone to touch her body. It took you 17 years to identify her real face but I got to know in 17 days that she wears khaki underwear,” Khan had said while addressing a campaign rally in Rampur.

First Published: Jul 25, 2019 16:23 IST