A heated clash unfolded in Parliament on Thursday, escalating into a police complaint threat against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The trigger was Home Minister Amit Shah’s controversial remark about Dr. BR Ambedkar, which roiled proceedings and sparked protests and counter-protests by BJP and Congress MPs.
BJP leaders accused Rahul Gandhi of physically assaulting two of their MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress leader injured the MPs during a scuffle outside the Parliament’s main door, Makar Dawar. Mr. Rijiju demanded an apology and sarcastically questioned Mr. Gandhi’s martial arts training, saying, “Parliament is not a wrestling arena. Have you learnt karate or kung fu to beat MPs?”
Visuals from the scene showed Mr. Sarangi being rushed to the hospital with a head injury, accompanied by claims that Rahul Gandhi pushed another MP, who subsequently fell on Mr. Sarangi. Speaking to reporters from a wheelchair, Mr. Sarangi alleged, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, and that MP fell on me. I was near the stairs when the incident happened.” The BJP has signaled plans to file a police complaint against Mr. Gandhi over the incident.
Responding to the allegations, Rahul Gandhi offered a sharp counter. He accused BJP MPs of blocking his entry into Parliament, resorting to pushing and shoving tactics against him and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. “They were threatening me and Mr. Kharge. This might even be captured on your cameras,” he told reporters. Gandhi dismissed the scuffle as “intimidation tactics” and reiterated his right to enter Parliament without hindrance.
The altercation comes in the wake of a contentious remark by Amit Shah during a Constitution Day debate. Shah said, “It has become the fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’ If the opposition took God’s name so often, they would get a place in heaven.” The comment provoked a massive backlash, with opposition parties demanding an apology and Shah’s resignation.
Mallikarjun Kharge condemned Shah’s statement, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack him if he “has any respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar.” The BJP, however, dismissed these demands, with Shah standing firm, accusing Congress of distorting facts and tarnishing Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy.
The escalating tensions between BJP and Congress have turned the Ambedkar debate into a full-blown political confrontation, underscoring the deepening rift between the two parties.
