New Delhi: A new row has broken out in Parliament, not over any important legislation but over which language should be spoken in the House? And it is a new emerging threat to peaceful debate.
In Rajya Sabha, during question hour, Opposition MPs were on their feet and the focus of attention was Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, not due to his skillful replies on fading forests but due to his language.
"He was asked a question in Hindi. Why did he reply in English?" BJP leader S S Ahluwalia said.
Ramesh was forced on the backfoot as he made a slip while attempting his hand at Hindi. The Opposition pounced on him. The Hindi versus English divide spread and MPs from southern became involved.
And when the furore became too loud, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari had to stand up to calm the House.
Jairam softened the House by apologising.
"I retract my statement. I was not disrespecting Hindi, but only saying that Mulayam ki beemari yahan lag gayi," he said.
Soon, smiles returned as Jairam chose to reply in Hindi to a question fired in English. The BJP, in order to prove that is a party with a contemporary mindset, distanced itself from the spat.
"The debate is important, and not the language," BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
The BJP promised no repeats, but others were not ready. So, it seems the language issue will keep rocking Parliament.
The debate is getting rare, disruptions on trivial issues are daily because MPs sometimes don't mind their tongue. Now, it's upto the voters to decide what's more important -- the MPs raise voter issues and concerns, or the language in which they do it.