Scuffle in Parliament; after who insulted Ambedkar, BJP, Congress in who pushed whom tussle
The political unrest sparked by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar escalated into a physical confrontation on the Parliament premises on Thursday, with Opposition and NDA MPs clashing. Both the ruling BJP and the Congress accused each other of misconduct and physical pushing of lawmakers.
The altercation resulted in injuries to former minister and BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi. The BJP accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pushing Sarangi, a claim denied by Gandhi.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge later urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to launch an inquiry into allegations that BJP MPs had pushed him during the commotion.
The incident unfolded when INDIA bloc MPs insisted on using the staircase occupied by protesting BJP members at the Makar Dwar entrance to Parliament, instead of the open space on the side.
Sarangi, a 69-year-old MP from Odisha’s Balasore, sustained injuries on his forehead and was later taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Rahul Gandhi of causing Sarangi’s injury by shoving him.
“Rahul Gandhi, aren’t you ashamed of this rowdy behavior? You pushed an elderly man,” Dubey charged.
Gandhi refuted the claim, countering, “He pushed me,” before briefly glancing at Sarangi and walking away. BJP members subsequently staged a protest at Makar Dwar, shouting slogans against the Congress.
Sarangi, speaking to reporters, said, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on me, causing my injury.”
Gandhi, on the other hand, claimed, “I was attempting to enter Parliament, but BJP MPs blocked, pushed, and threatened me.”
Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Pralhad Joshi visited Sarangi at the hospital, where Chouhan confirmed that Sarangi had received stitches for his injuries. “Appropriate action will follow after reviewing Sarangi’s injuries,” added Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to file a complaint alleging BJP MPs’ unruly conduct and obstruction of Rahul Gandhi’s entry into Parliament. Kharge, in a letter to the Speaker, accused BJP MPs of pushing him, causing him to lose balance and injure his knees, which had previously undergone surgery.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned amid Opposition protests demanding an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on Ambedkar.
