Two lawmakers, Nishikant Dubey of the BJP and Mahua Moitra of Trinamool, locked horns on Thursday over a comment that one allegedly made against the other. Dubey accused ‘a woman in Trinamool Congress’ of calling him ‘Bihari gunda’ during a Parliamentary committee meeting on Wednesday. Mahua Moitra found the charge ‘amusing’

“I want to draw attention of all members of this House. This is my 13th year as an MP and the way I was called ‘Bihari Gunda’ at the Parliamentary committee meeting yesterday by a woman, by Trinamool Congress, I have not seen this in my life,” Dubey said, in Lok Sabha reports PTI. The MP has complained to Speaker Om Birla, calling it an attack on Bihar’s pride. Dubey complained to Speaker Om Birla, calling the comment an attack on Bihar’s pride.

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Giving a regional twist to the alleged comment, Dubey went on to say, “What is our mistake? Our mistake is in developing this country. We have worked as labourers, as Hindi-speaking people whether from Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh… we have worked hard. We have learnt lessons from Lord Ram,” Dubey said without naming anyone .

Dubey was referring to Wednesday’s scheduled meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The meeting was set to question government officials on the Pegasus spyware issue.

However, the meeting was postponed due to lack of quorum. Dubey alleged that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called him a ‘Bihari Gunda’ in the meeting.

Dubey, in a tweet on Wednesday tagged TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and alleged that Moitra’s comments show her party’s attitude towards the people of Bihar and the Hindi-speaking parts of the country.

Moitra denied the charge, saying Dubey was not even present for the meeting. “Am a bit amused by charges of name-calling.  IT mtng did not happen because NO quorum – members did not attend. How can I call someone a name who was not even present!! Check attendance sheet!” the Trinamool leader tweeted.

The BJP leaders had boycotted IT committee meeting and did not sign the attendance register. The meeting was reportedly meant to discuss the Pegasus scandal that reportedly involves snooping on opposition leaders, public figures, Ministers and journalists. The issue has disrupted the Monsoon session two causing frequent disruptions.