Disgusting scenes unfolded in Parliament on Thursday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress accused each other of assault and harassment and lodged contrary complaints with the police, leading to an unprecedented breakdown of decorum and clashes between the government and the opposition. The tension between them increased.
The ruling party accused the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi At least one MLA was pushed and injured, while another was injured, while the Congress denied the allegations and said that BJP MLAs blocked Gandhi’s way and pushed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, causing injury to his knee. It took effect.
The dispute began near the stairs of Parliament’s Makar Gate, the entry and exit gate reserved for MPs, when members National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) were holding concurrent protests over the legacy of constitutionalist BR Ambedkar. The BJP was accusing the previous Congress governments of insulting the first Law Minister of India. Bharat Block The members were demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar earlier this week. A day ago, there was a jam in both the houses of the Parliament on this issue.
There was chaos when both the parties came face to face on Thursday morning. The BJP alleged that two of its MLAs – Farrukhabad MP Mukesh Rajput and Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi – were injured when Gandhi pushed them while they were inside Parliament. Both were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to them on phone.
Separately, S Phangnon Konyak, a woman BJP MLA in the Rajya Sabha, said she was “uncomfortable” with Gandhi’s behaviour, while Congress member Hibi Eden described the allegation as completely fabricated.
“The decoration has gone down to the wire. Democracy has been torn apart and tarnished. There is no other example like the hooliganism of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party. Such conduct has never been seen in the parliamentary history of India,” said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
But the Congress denied this version of events and said that three MPs from the ruling party assaulted Gandhi and refused to give way to him. The party said BJP members attacked Kharge and pushed him, causing him to lose his balance and suffer injuries to both his knees. He also accused the BJP of leveling false allegations against the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
“I was trying to enter Parliament and BJP MPs were stopping, pushing and threatening me,” Gandhi told reporters. He also alleged that the BJP was attacking Shah over his comments on Ambedkar. Trying to divert attention from the allegations against him.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that Rahul Gandhi is being targeted. He said, “To save Amit Shah’s skin, they have started this conspiracy that ‘bhaiya’ has pushed someone.”
Both parties lodged complaints with the police, and complained against each other to the respective Chairmen in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the BJP members lodged a complaint at the Sansad Marg police station and booked them under sections 109 (attempt to murder), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 125 (acts Demanded first information report under. Endangering the life or personal safety of others), sections 131 (use of criminal force), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Indian Judicial Code.
Congress filed a complaint signed by members Digvijay Singh and Rajiv Shukla, among others, saying they were protesting in Parliament when BJP members attacked Mallikarjun Kharge, Neeraj Dangi and others.
“The BJP MPs used physical force on Mr Kharge by pushing him on the ground. This resulted in physical injuries to Mr. Kharge, Neeraj Dangi and others…The persons involved in committing the crime against Mr. Kharge can be identified from the video evidence being shared with the present complaint,” he wrote in the complaint.
Congress asked Delhi Police to register an FIR under sections including causing hurt, using criminal force, assault etc.
“Complaints have been received and are being investigated legally,” said a senior police officer with knowledge of the matter.
The controversy comes in the backdrop of the controversy that erupted over Shah’s comments on Ambedkar earlier this week. Responding to the debate on completion of 75 years of the Constitution on Tuesday, Shah had attacked the Congress and alleged that the opposition party had repeatedly insulted Ambedkar. “It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…If he had taken God’s name so many times, he would have got a place in heaven for seven births…” he said.
India Bloc parties shared clips of the first part of his statement, demanding Shah’s resignation and an apology for the charge of insulting the creator of the Constitution. They held protests across the country and Kharge warned that his party would launch a national movement on the issue.
BJP has already rejected Congress’s allegations. Modi accused the Congress of spreading malicious lies to hide its years of misdeeds and insult to Ambedkar. Addressing a press conference, Shah accused the Congress of “distorting” his statement in the Rajya Sabha to create the “illusion” that he had insulted Ambedkar.
An unprecedented scene was seen in the Parliament complex on Thursday morning which increased political tension.
At 10 am, a group of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs gathered near Makar Dwar carrying placards to protest against the Congress. A short distance away from Makar Dwar, where a statue of Ambedkar stood obscured by winter fog, opposition MPs gathered to attack Shah.
By 10.40 am the campus was echoing with contradictory slogans, when the two rivals came face to face, leading to a scuffle. What happened over the next 10 minutes remained unclear and both sides accused the other of instigating the attack.
At 10.50 am, Sarangi, a piece of gauze placed on his left temple, was put in an ambulance and taken to RML Hospital. Rajput, who also complained of injuries, was taken to the same hospital.
BJP member Nishikant Dubey publicly accused Gandhi of pushing Sarangi. “Aren’t you ashamed Rahul, you are indulging in rowdy behavior (‘hooliganism’). You pushed an old man,” an angry Dubey told Gandhi.
“He pushed me,” Gandhi protested to Dubey and walked away after a cursory glance at Sarangi.
“Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, who fell on me and I got injured,” Sarangi told reporters.
But members of the India Bloc defended Gandhi. “I know Rahul Gandhi. He will not push anyone; Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, he is not the kind of person who behaves badly or rudely with anyone… No one, leave alone an MP, can push anyone on the road.
Later, both the Houses witnessed huge uproar amid slogans of “Jai Bhim” from both the sides and were adjourned without any discussion.
Congress MPs later met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a complaint against the BJP members. Konyak said in the Rajya Sabha that Gandhi came “very close” to him during a “peaceful protest” and shouted at him. He accused her of conduct inappropriate to his position as leader of the opposition, saying he made her uncomfortable.
Dhankhar said she received a message from Konyak on the incident and she also met him in his chamber. “I am looking into it. She was literally in tears,” he said in the House.
Later in the day, Congress MP Hibi Eden wrote to Birla and refuted the allegations. “I was present with the Honorable Leader of the Opposition during the entire event and at no point did Shri Rahul Gandhi ji come close to the person making the allegations. The allegation on Shri Rahul Gandhi of being insensitive towards the rights of women and Scheduled Tribes is another fake claim and at no point did Rahul Gandhi ji say, do or express any statement, action or word which would prove derogatory to the complainant. It may have happened,” he said. Letter.
Hemang Joshi, who filed the complaint against Gandhi, said, “When I saw Gandhi going away…I called him and asked him to see how Sarangi was injured…but he looked unconcerned and said that Sarangi had injured him. Pushed…how can he say such things?”
