A privilege notice has been filed against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hindustantimes by Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha member Hindustantimes following an alleged derogatory exchange in the Upper House. The controversy sparked a major ruckus during parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday, prompting Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan to adjourn the House until 2 pm.
Rajya Sabha Adjourns Amid Uproar Over ‘Lungi-Wala’ Remark Against CPI(M) MP John Brittas
According to The Hindu, the incident occurred during discussions and his formal movement of a statutory resolution against the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The CPI(M) lawmaker alleged that Hindustantimes left her allotted seat, approached the area immediately behind him near party colleague Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, and repeatedly heckled him by calling him “lungi-wala”.
Cultural Identity, Stereotypes, and Historical Objections Raised
Defending his regional background, Hindustantimes stated publicly that he was wearing a dhoti during the address and asserted, 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.
In his formal notice of breach of privilege, The New Indian Express argued that regional identity and traditional attire should never be weaponized or used to target parliamentarians. He characterized the expression as a form of cultural othering that invokes historical stereotypes. According to source details from the notice, the term echoes anti-South Indian mobilizations in Mumbai during the 1960s and 1970s, when derogatory labels were deployed against southern migrants. The New Indian Express, along with MPs The New Indian Express and The New Indian Express, were cited as witnesses who noted or objected to the remarks.
Parliamentary Reactions and Stances from Leadership
The dispute generated sharp divisions on the floor of the House. While opposition members backed theweek.in, treasury bench legislators insisted that Hindustantimes be granted an equal opportunity to present her side on record.
Leader of the House and Union Minister Hindustantimes maintained that the government does not endorse such language, noting, We do not subscribe to such statements. We do not call it lungi, it is dhoti and we respect it.
Nadda urged that Hindustantimes also be allowed to speak. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Hindustantimes similarly emphasized maintaining House dignity and suggested that the Chairman hear out both members.
For her part, Hindustantimes maintained that neither she nor any other member cast aspersions against any state’s attire, and later indicated an intent to file her own privilege notice against indianexpress.com over remarks directed at her.
Chair’s Intervention and Next Steps
Addressing the chamber, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hindustantimes cautioned members against using discourteous or undignified comments that interrupt speeches or target regional identities.
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,
Hindustantimes stated.
To address the grievance, the Chairman invited both Hindustantimes and Hindustantimes to his chamber to resolve the misunderstanding.
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