Published Aug 12, 2026 | 1:55 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2026 | 3:13 PM
John Brittas and Sushmita Dev
Synopsis: A “lungiwala” remark allegedly directed at CPI(M) MP John Brittas sparked a heated exchange in Rajya Sabha, with Brittas calling it an insult to Kerala’s cultural identity and the dignity of Parliament. The row intensified after the BJP sought an opportunity for Sushmita Dev to present her side, leading to protests and an adjournment of the Rajya Sabha.
A remark allegedly referring to CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas as “lungiwala” triggered a sharp exchange in the Upper House on Wednesday, 12 August, with Brittas raising the issue as a matter of the dignity and prestige of Parliament.
Raising the issue under matters raised with the permission of the Chair, Brittas said he was doing so “with a heavy heart”, describing it as an issue concerning the honour of the House.
“I am a proud Indian, a proud South Indian and, of course, a proud Malayali,” Brittas said, underlining his pride in Kerala’s culture, cuisine and traditional attire.
He said India’s Constitution celebrated diversity and maintained that the country’s regional cultures and identities were an integral part of that diversity.
Against this backdrop, Brittas said, he was deeply disturbed that a member whom he held in high esteem had repeatedly referred to him as “lungiwala”.
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The issue arose from an incident during proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, 10 August, when the House was discussing the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
John Brittas raising the issue on Wednesday
Brittas subsequently moved a privilege motion against BJP MP Sushmita Dev, alleging that she had addressed him as “lungiwala” during the proceedings.
According to the complaint, Dev left her allotted seat during Brittas’s intervention and moved to a seat immediately behind him, near that of her party colleague Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.
Brittas alleged that Dev repeatedly heckled him while he was speaking and used the term “lungiwala” to address him.
In his privilege complaint, Brittas is understood to have argued that the expression was not a stray, spontaneous or inadvertent remark. He described it as a deliberate and sustained personal reference and contended that it invoked a derogatory stereotype associated with South Indians.
He further argued that the expression had historically been used in a pejorative manner to ridicule people from southern states.
Brittas also referred to the history of anti-South Indian mobilisation in Mumbai during the 1960s and 1970s. According to his complaint, such references had been used during that period in attempts to target and demean migrants from southern India.
The CPI(M) MP therefore sought to place the issue before the House as one involving not only an individual exchange but also respect for regional identities and cultural traditions.
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Responding to the issue on Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that every member of the Rajya Sabha was equal.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responding to the allegation
Rijiju also stressed that all members were Indians and suggested that the matter should be resolved through a discussion between the two members involved.
He proposed that the Chairman call Brittas and the other member to his chamber so that the issue could be settled.
The Chairman subsequently addressed the House and said that certain instances had come to his notice in which members had made discourteous and undignified comments while interrupting the speeches of other members.
He cautioned members to be careful while making interventions and urged them to ensure that their remarks did not hurt the sentiments or feelings of their fellow parliamentarians.
The Chairman also underlined the importance of India’s cultural and regional diversity.
He said the country’s culture was unique because it was inclusive of diverse traditions and regional identities. There should be no disrespect towards the cultural traditions or regional identities of colleagues, he stressed.
The Chair subsequently directed Brittas and the other member involved in the controversy to come to his chamber to sort out the issue.
At the same time, the issue took another turn in the Rajya Sabha when Rijiju and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda sought an opportunity for Dev to put forward her version of the incident on the floor of the House.
Union Minister and NDA leader in the Rajya Sabha Jagat Prakash Nadda during the discussion
Nadda, who is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader in the Rajya Sabha, said the government and his party respected the traditional attire associated with every state and rejected any suggestion that such attire was being viewed with disrespect.
He said the traditional garment should be referred to as a “dhoti”, rather than “lungi”, and stressed that the government and the BJP respected the attire and cultural traditions of every state.
“We respect every attire of every state. We don’t call it lungi; it is dhoti, and we respect it,” Nadda said, while making it clear that neither the government nor his party subscribed to such remarks.
At the same time, Nadda argued that Dev should also be given an opportunity to explain her position so that her version of the incident could be placed on record.
The suggestion drew strong objections from Opposition members, who opposed the demand for Dev to speak in the House.
With the disagreement escalating, proceedings were disrupted and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned. The House was scheduled to reconvene at 2 pm.
Formerly a Trinamool Congress MP, Dev joined the BJP on 9 July. The BJP immediately nominated her to the Rajya Sabha.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
