New Delhi: The ongoing row between the BJP and the Congress over the Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, which was so far confined to a verbal duel, turned ugly and physical in the Parliament forecourt on Thursday. The political rivalry between the BJP and the Congress hit a new low with both sides accusing each other of resorting to violence. Amidst the chaos and mayhem that ensued, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day.
The BJP accused Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of “assaulting” two party MPs — Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput. Mr Gandhi claimed that it was he who was “pushed around” and “obstructed” from entering Parliament.
Both the BJP MPs have been admitted to the RML ICU with head injuries. Mr Sarangi had a deep cut on his head and had to be stitched up. Mr Rajput complained of “high blood pressure”.
The BJP lost no time in lodging a police complaint against Mr Gandhi. The charges against the Congress leader ranged from “attempt to murder (under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita), voluntarily causing grievous hurt (under Section 117 of the BNS), endangering life or personal safety of others (under Section 125 of the BNS) to criminal intimidation (under Section 351 of the BNS)”.
The complaint read: “Mr Gandhi’s actions were deliberate, intentional and done with malafide intention and full knowledge of the potential consequences.” The complaint was lodged by BJP MP Hemang Joshi on behalf of the party.
The Delhi police after perusing the complaint, lodged an FIR against Mr Gandhi under the Sections 115 (voluntary causing hurt), 117 (voluntary causing grievous hurt), 125 (act of endangering life or personal safety of others), 131 (use of criminal force) and 351 (criminal intimidation). It has dropped the attempt to murder charge.
Dismissing the BJP charges, Mr Gandhi told the media inside the Parliament premises that the BJP MPs were “obstructing and pushing him”.
Besides the two injured MPs, another BJP woman Rajya Sabha MP S. Phangnon Konyak, in a written complaint to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, alleged that her “dignity and self-esteem have been deeply hurt by Mr Gandhi”. She also sought the “protection” of the Chairman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the party MPs and enquired about their well-being after they sustained injuries in Parliament.
Top BJP leaders, including defence minister Rajnath Singh, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, education minister Dharmednra Pradhan and minister of food and consumer affairs Pralhad Joshi, visited the hospital to check on the injured party MPs.
The RML medical superintendent Dr Ajay Shukla said, “We are doing our best. Sarangi Ji is an elderly person and when there is pushing and shoving, the blood pressure could shoot up and lead to a cardiac arrest or stroke. Sarangi ji had been a cardiac patient. We are evaluating the situation.”
In a counter move, the Congress also filed a complaint at the Parliament Street police station alleging that the BJP leaders “misbehaved” with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Congress president, in another letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, claimed that he was “physically pushed” by BJP MPs in Parliament premises and lost balance. He sought an inquiry into the incident, claiming it was not just an attack on him personally, but on the Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition and the Congress president.
The Parliament Street police station remained one of the main hubs of activities through the day as legislators of both the BJP and the Congress thronged the police station to file complaints against each other.
While the BJP delegation to the police station comprised of party MPs Anurag Thakur, Bansuri Swaraj and complainant Hemang Joshi, the Congress MPs who went to lodge a formal complaint included Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, Rajiv Shukla, Pramod Tiwari and a host of women MPs. In the evening both the parties held press conferences hurling accusations and flaying each other.
Over the past few days, the Congress has been building up an agitation by accusing Mr Shah of “insulting” B.R. Ambedkar. Today was the BJP’s day to launch a counteroffensive. In their bid to turn the tables on the rivals, the NDA MPs, carrying placards, gathered at the Makar Dwar around 10 am. They claimed that it was the Congress which had “ïnsulted” B.R. Ambedkar and demanded an apology.
Trouble started half an hour later, when the INDIA bloc MPs, dressed in blue, a colour associated with B.R. Ambedkar, carrying posters reading “Main Bhi Ambedkar”, “Jai Bhim” and “Amit Shah maafi maango”, marched from B.R. Ambedkar’s statue inside the Parliament premises to the Makar Dwar. Coming face to face, the two factions then engaged in loud sloganeering in a bid to outdo each other. While the Congress, including Mr Gandhi claimed that the BJP MPs “blocked” the entrance and “began pushing them”, the ruling party legislators accused the Opposition party of trying to “forcibly barge in.”
In the melee and jostling, Mr Sarangi and Mr Rajput sustained injuries. The BJP, however, alleged in the police complaint that Mr Gandhi, “with a malicious intent to disrupt the protest and physically harm NDA MPs, ignored the instructions of the Parliament security to take a designated entry path and forcefully barged towards the peaceful demonstrators.”
Amidst the chaos, BJP MP Nishkant Dubey confronted Mr Gandhi and accused him of indulging in “goondagardi” (hooliganism). Mr Gandhi, after taking a cursory look at Mr Sarangi, who was in a wheelchair and bleeding, said, “He pushed me”, before walking off.
The Lok SAbha Leader of the Opposition then told the media that he was trying to enter Parliament and the “BJP MPs were stopping me, pushing me and threatening me.” Mr Sarangi, however, alleged that Mr Gandhi “pushed an MP, who fell on him and as a result, he tripped and fell.”
Coming out in support of her brother, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed the BJP’s allegations a “conspiracy to save Mr Shah’s skin”.
The Congress MPs also met Lok Sabha Speaker and submitted a complaint against the alleged unruly conduct of BJP MPs against Mr Gandhi and stopping him from entering Parliament House. While the NDA MPs trained their guns on Mr Gandhi, INDIA bloc leaders and legislators came out in defence of the Congress scion.