NEW DELHI: CPM MP John Brittas has moved a privilege motion against BJP MP Sushmita Dev, alleging that she addressed him as “lungiwala” during proceedings in Rajya Sabha Monday. Dev denied that she had cast aspersions on attire of any state.Brittas raised the issue in the House Wednesday after listed papers were laid on the table at the start of the day. He said a member targeted him with the “lungiwala” remark while he was moving a statutory resolution against the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, Monday.Brittas said the MP came from the treasury benches, stood behind him, disturbed him and started calling him a “lungi wala”.“I’m a proud Indian, South Indian and a proud Malayali… I cherish every moment being a Malayali — our language, culture, cuisine, and of course, our attire,” Brittas said.Making an observation on the issue, Rajya Sabha Chairperson C P Radhakrishnan said he would call the MPs concerned to his chamber to discuss the matter. He also urged MPs to be careful not to hurt the sentiments and feelings of fellow members.
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“Our culture is unique and inclusive of diverse regional cultures. There should be no disrespect to the cultural traditions and regional identities of our colleagues,” he said.While parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju requested the chair to allow Dev to put her response on record, leader of the House J P Nadda said govt did not subscribe to such statements and respected every state’s attire.The proceedings were adjourned till 2pm amid the din. Many MPs from south India protested in Parliament complex, shouting “our lungi, our pride” in support of Brittas.When the House reassembled, Dev sought to clarify her position: “I’m a Bengali from Assam. I have seen different states where we wear different attires, clothes. Neither I nor any member has cast aspersions on any state’s attire….”Nadda also offered to resolve the “misunderstanding” between Dev and Brittas.
