Delhi Elections: 5 times BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri triggered row with his offensive remarks – from Priyanka Gandhi to Atishi

Delhi Elections: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri's statements ahead of the Delhi Election 2025 have courted two back-to-back controversies. Biduri, the former Lok Sabha member of Parliament (MP) from South Delhi, is the saffron party's candidate from the Kalkaji seat in the February assembly polls.

Bidhuri faced a backlash on Sunday over his derogatory remarks against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, which went viral. In the video clip, Bidhuri could be heard saying, “I promise you that I will each build road of Kalkaji” smooth “like the cheeks of Priyanka Gandhi”. He later regretted the remarks.

Soon after the backlash over comments on Priyanka Vadra, Bidhuri sparked yet another controversy – this time by making a snide remark at Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. Bidhuri said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi “changed her father,” while addressing a public gathering in the national capital. Bidhuri was referring to Atishi dropping her surname from Marlena to Singh in 2018.

Reacting to Bidhuri's comments, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused leaders of the BJP of crossing all limits of ‘shamelessness.’

Bidhuri, 63, is no stranger to controversy. Most of the rows have been caused by his offensive statements targeting political rivals and fellow members of the Parliament.

Communal Slurs against Danish Ali

In September 2023, Bidhuri levelled communal slurs against the then Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha. Bidhuri, then a BJP MP from South Delhi, made the objectionable remarks targeted at Danish Ali during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

“Among the words he directed against me were 'Bhadwa' (pimp), 'Katwa' (circumcised one), 'Mullah ugarvadi' (Muslim terrorist) 'atankvadi' (terrorist) etc”,” Ali's letter to speaker Om Birla had read then.

Birla warned Bidhuri to act strictly if such an offence is repeated. BJP president JP Nadda also issued a show cause notice to Bidhuri. The remarks were expunged from Parliamentary records, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately regretted Bidhuri's behaviour in the Parliament.

In August 2023, Bidhuri called the then Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’, meaning dwarf. The former BJP MP said that today, a "Bona (dwarf) Duryodhana is ruling in Delhi.”

Slurs against Sonia Gandhi

In 2017, Bidhuri had passed remark on former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and ex chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati during a public rally in Mathura.

“Italy mein aise sanskar hote honge ke shadi ke 5-7 mahine baad pota ya poti bhi aa jaye, Bhartiya sanskriti mein nahi (a grandchild may be born within 5-6 months in Italy but in Indian culture), Bidhuri said drawing an analogy with child birth.

"Aise sanskar Congress me ya Mayawati ji ke ghar me hote honge... Bhartiya sanskriti me aise sanskar nahi hai" (This kind of culture would either be in Mayawati's home or Congress family but it's not there in the Indian culture)," Bodhuri was quoted as saying in media reports.

Women MPs complaint against Bidhuri

Bidhuri had targeted Kejriwal during uproar over the the Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Bill, to replace the ordinance brought by the Centre in May, excluded ‘services’ from the legislative competence of the Delhi legislative assembly. The ordinance was brought about days after the Supreme Court's judgment on the control of services in Delhi.

In 2015, five women MPs including Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress), Sushmita Dev (Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP), Arpita Ghosh (TMC), PK Sreemathi Teacher (CPI(M)) had lodged a complaint accusing Bidhuri of using abusive and sexist remarks against them in the Lok Sabha.

Sushmita Dev- then Congress MP from Silchar- said that Bidhuri’s language had often been ‘sexist’ and ‘abusive’ and that they have taken it up within the party as well. Bidhuri, however, had rejected all the allegations.

Who is Ramesh Bidhuri?

Bidhuri is a BJP leader who was party's MP from South Delhi between 2014 and 2024. Bidhuri was, however, no fielded in 2024, perhaps because of the controversy involving Danish Ali.

Bidhuri has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP's ideological mentor, since childhood. During his college years, he was also a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the RSS's student outfit.

Bidhuri has done his graduation in Commerce from Delhi University and also pursued his LLB from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut. In 1993 and 1998, he contested in Delhi assembly polls from the Tughlakabad seat; however, he lost both times. However, he later won in 2003 and 2008 from the same seat.

He contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from South Delhi; however, he lost. He won theLok Sabha elections from South Delhi in 2014 and 2019.