Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises.
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Ruling NDA and Opposition I.N.D.I.A. MPs on Thursday had an eyeball to eyeball confrontation at Parliament House entrance during their protests over Home Minister Amit Shah's remark on B R Ambedkar, leading to both sides levelling allegations against each other, complaining to the Speaker and running to police to file cases.
Two BJP MPs landed in hospital with injuries to their head and a BJP woman MP S Phangnon Konyak accused Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of coming close to her and shouting at her while Congress said Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge injured his knees after ruling party lawmakers pushed him besides manhandling Rahul.
Kharge and Congress Lok Sabha MPs submitted letters to Birla seeking action while BJP MPs too approached him with a complaint against Rahul, accusing him of pushing MPs leading to injuries. Congress MP Hibi Eden gave a written statement to Birla denying Konyak’s allegations saying he was with Rahul throughout the protest and her charges were “fabricated”.
While BJP MPs filed a complaint against Rahul for “physical assault” of Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, Congress MPs too filed a complaint in Parliament Street police station claiming misbehaviour with Kharge by the opponents.
Late evening, PTI news agency reported, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Rahul.
Rahul told a press conference that the episode in Parliament was an attempt to avoid discussion on Adani issue while accusing the BJP of creating a “new distraction” to divert attention from “Narendra Modi’s friend” to whom he was “selling India”.
Senior BJP Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters that he expected Rahul to apologise while adding that Rahul was using physical strength inside Parliament. “Are you going to make a test of physical strength in Parliament? Then wrestlers, goondas will be in. Where is Congress taking it to?”
Since Wednesday, Parliament has been witnessing protest over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks in Rajya Sabha two days ago, which the Opposition claimed was “insulting” to the Dalit icon, and the issue continued to boil on Thursday with both sides staging protests in Parliament premises.
While BJP MPs staged a protest at ‘Makar Dwar’, the main entrance of Parliament, the I.N.D.I.A. MPs started their march from Ambedkar Statue in the premises. Trinamool Congress MPs were not present in the march, in which senior MPs wore shades of blue in what is seen as a symbolic gesture, as Ambedkarites are identified with the colour.
As the Opposition march reached the entrance, they tried to occupy the space in front of 'Makar Dwar', leading to a face-off with the BJP MPs. Kharge and newly-elected MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the march holding Ambedkar’s poster while Rahul was holding a copy of Constitution.
As they entered the space, there was intense sloganeering from both sides. While BJP MPs shouted ‘Gandhi family, maafi mango’ over giving Padma Bhushan to the person who defeated Ambedkar in Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka led the counter attack along with Kharge with ‘Jai Bhim’ slogans.
Shortly after this, Rahul and some other MPs tried to enter the Parliament House but could not move forward initially during which some MPs fell down. BJP alleged Rahul pushed them. Some of the I.N.D.I.A. MPs also climbed a wall near 'Maka Dwar' to stage a protest.