New Delhi:
The Communist party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has indicated that it would seek action against Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay unless he apologised for using "expletives" against party leader Basudeb Acharia in the Lok Sabha.
"Whatever Bandopadhyay has said, the whole country has heard. It was not hidden from anybody. People have apologised after hurting the prestige of the House earlier also," CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
On Tuesday, the Trinamool leader had shouted and allegedly "hurled expletives" at Acharia in the Lok Sabha when a discussion on the Mumbai rail motormen's strike was on.
"It is not about an individual, but the kind of words and attitude with which he rose to speak, it raised questions over the prestige of the House. He should definitely apologise for his act, which has hurt the prestige of the House," Yechury said.
Asked what they would do if Bandopadhyay did not do so he said, "Let's see ... Till now he is maintaining that he will not apologise. We will wait for a while and then see what is to be done. We will move for action."
When his reaction was sought on the matter, Acharia said Bandopadhyay must apologise, "otherwise the House will not function".
He said that whenever Left members rose to speak in the House, the Trinamool MPs would indulge in shouting and interrupting. "They have been doing this from the beginning," the CPM MP from West Bengal's Bankura said.
Acharia had said he had been in the House for three decades but had "never seen such behaviour. In fact, I never expected such a behaviour when Bandopadhyay moved forward menacingly."
Bandopadhyay, however, maintained that he was ready to apologise "if any word in my speech is found to be unparliamentary. I have got a copy of (yesterday's Lok Sabha) proceedings and there is nothing like that in it."
"Let the video projection of the proceedings be seen by senior members, I am ready," the Trinamool leader later said, adding, "In fact, the Left members should apologise as they came menacingly towards me when I was in my seat."
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar reprimanded Bandopadhyay on Wednesday for using certain words against Acharia and disapproved of his conduct in the House.
Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi too demanded that the Trinamool leader tender an apology and said he had never witnessed such an "insult" to the House during his 40-year parliamentary tenure.