BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday was interrupted after the Lok Sabha's translation device faced issues.
Although he continued normally in Hindi, the Opposition's demand that he switch to English angered him, sparking a language debate in the Lok Sabha.
Calling it a "foreign language", he declared that he would have "been glad" to speak in Tamil or Bengali instead, as per a PTI report. "Your insistence on it reflects your mindset," he pointed out.
Although Dilip Saikia (the BJP president in Assam), who was in the Chair at the moment, informed the House that the translation services were being restored, the Opposition's continued pressure on Dubey to switch to English led him to continue his tirade against the language.
"Someone spoke in Bengali for half an hour, yet Tamil Nadu MPs didn’t object. You only have a problem with Hindi. Congress and its allies don’t like North Indians or Hindi. If you keep promoting English, we’ll end up becoming England. 'Hum phir se gulaam ho jayenge' (We will become slaves again)," he explained.
In that regard, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs Sayani Ghosh and Kalyan Banerjee had recently spoken to the Parliament in Bengali, in accordance with Article 120 of the Constitution, which permits members to use their mother tongue for this purpose. However, this is still an uncommon choice, since TMC leaders typically speak in the Parliament in English or Hindi.
This comes despite Banerjee being publicly criticised by veteran MP Saugata Roy for his English, as well as his behaviour.
“He should be removed as chief whip of the parliamentary party. He’s unfit for the post because of his wrong English and intemperate behaviour,” Roy had said, as per a Hindustan Times report.