Facebook row: BJP MP Dubey requests LS speaker to replace Tharoor as head of par panel on IT

Citing Lok Sabha rules, Dubey requested Speaker Om Birla to appoint any other member as the chairman of the committee in Shashi Tharoor’s place.

Stepping up his attack on parliamentary committee on information technology head Shashi Tharoor, BJP MP and a member of the panel Nishikant Dubey on Thursday wrote a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker requesting him to remove the Congress leader from the post.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. (ANI)

Citing Lok Sabha rules, Dubey requested Speaker Om Birla to appoint any other member as the chairman of the committee in his place.

Taking a dig at Tharoor, Dubey alleged, “speaking in ‘Spenserian’ English with a foreign accent does not give freedom to an individual to not only disregard our glorious parliamentary institutions/organs to meet his own political ambitions but also to abuse our constitution.”

Spenserian English typically refers to the writing style of 16th century British poet Edmund Spenser, known as one of the premier craftsman of nascent modern English verse.

Dubbing Tharoor as “architect” of creating unnecessary controversies, Dubey said he does so to grind his political ambitions and at the same time target BJP by misusing parliamentary institutions.

Ever since Tharoor has become the panel head, “he is running the affairs of the committee in a thoroughly unprofessional manner and to serve his political agenda of spreading rumours and defaming my party”, Dubey claimed in the letter.

“... It would be highly improper for Dr. Shashi Tharoor to continue and regulate the proceedings of the committee. I, therefore, appeal to your good self to persuade Dr. Tharoor to proceed on leave and thereafter,... choose another member of the committee to act as Chairperson,” Dubey said in the letter.

Claiming that Tharoor’s acts of misdemeanours, in the capacity of the panel’s chairperson are countless, the BJP MP mentioned number of instances where the Congress leader used the parliamentary platform to further his and his party’s political agenda.

Dubey also claimed that Tharoor even used the parliamentary platform to “defame” the Lok Sabha speaker to attain political mileage, the BJP MP said the Congress leader had blamed that the Speaker directed him to cancel a meeting of the committee on Information Technology when Covid-19 pandemic was it at zenith while allowing other panels to meet.

“Though his allegations were, later on, proved to be entirely concocted, he was successful in using the parliamentary platform even to defame the honourable Speaker and attain some political mileage, perhaps, for getting some media attention to overcome his dwindling political fortunes,” the BJP MP alleged.

Dubey and Tharoor filed breach of privilege notices against each other on Wednesday after a spat on social media over the Congress leader’s remarks on summoning Facebook India executives over reports that the social media giant went soft on some BJP leaders who had made hate speeches ahead of the general elections last year.

While Dubey said Tharoor was treating the committee as an extension of Congress party, the Congress leader had alleged that the BJP MP made “disparaging remarks” on social media over his decision to summon a panel meeting to discuss the alleged “misconduct” of Facebook.