Parliament LIVE | Delhi police book Rahul Gandhi for scuffle in House
Such a chaotic day in Parliament: Heated arguments, scuffle, complaints, FIRs, and 2 MPs in hospital
The Congress on Thursday (December 19) accused the BJP of diverting attention from the issue of Home Minister Amit Shah's "insult" to BR Ambedkar as well as the Adani issue, and said Shah must resign and apologise for his remarks.
Addressing a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condemned Shah's remarks on Ambedkar and said they would continue to protest across the country.
"The BJP wants to divert attention from Shah's remarks on Ambedkar and that is why they are raising other issues," Kharge told reporters. He said they (Congress leaders) were only demanding the resignation of Home Minister Shah and were protesting "in support of our demands, but the BJP MPs blocked us from entering Parliament". He said they will run a nationwide movement on Ambedkar issue.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed against Rahul Gandhi for the scuffle in Parliament, in a late-night development. (Details below in our Live)
Earlier, the row over Shah’s controversial remark on Ambedkar continued on Thursday, with Congress president and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge submitting a privilege notice against Shah, both the ruling NDA and Opposition MPs holding protests within the parliament premises, and two BJP MPs -- Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Chandra Sarangi -- landing in hospital after being injured in the melee. Trouble began when INDIA bloc members insisted on entering Parliament through the BJP MPs holding a protest instead of using the space left empty on one side of the staircase of the Makar Dwar, used by members to enter and exit the building.
Also watch: Amit Shah’s ‘Ambedkar’ remark adds fuel to Congress’s Constitution narrative
Exchange of allegations
The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing the senior member, a charge he rejected. “Are you not ashamed Rahul? You are resorting to rowdy behaviour (gundagardi). You pushed an old man,” a furious Nishikant Dubey charged. “He pushed me,” Rahul retorted, walking off after having a cursory look at Sarangi, who was being attended to by fellow BJP members.
Sarangi was later wheeled off to an ambulance and taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for treatment. “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, who fell on me and I got injured,” he told reporters as BJP members squatted at the Makar Dwar raising slogans against the Congress.
The other MP Rahul allegedly pushed, who apparently fell on Sarangi, was Mukesh Rajput, BJP MP from UP's Farrukhabad. He reportedly fell unconscious as his blood pressure shot up.
Rahul told reporters in Parliament premises: “I was trying to enter Parliament and the BJP MPs were stopping me, pushing me and threatening me.”
Also read: Amit Shah's remarks reflective of BJP's 'old mentality': B R Ambedkar's grandson
Rijiju promises “appropriate action”
Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Pralhad Joshi later met Sarnagi in hospital. Chouhan told TV reporters that Sarangi received a few stitches to stop the bleeding. “Appropriate action will be taken after examining the injuries suffered by Sarangi,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
Congress MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a complaint against the alleged unruly conduct of BJP MPs against Rahul Gandhi and stopping him from entering the Parliament. In the letter, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed he was pushed by BJP MPs, lost his balance and was forced to sit on the ground, injuring his knees that have already undergone surgery.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned following noisy protests by the Opposition seeking an apology from Shah for his remarks on Ambedkar.
Also read: Stalin takes veiled swipe at BJP, PM for attacking Congress, Ambedkar
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Live Updates
- 19 Dec 2024 1:38 PM IST
BJP govt asked 'X' to delete Amit Shah's RS speech, claims Congress
Citing an email, the Congress on Thursday claimed that the BJP government has asked social media platform 'X' to remove the speech of Home Minister Amit Shah made in the Rajya Sabha, which it said "insulted" Babasaheb Ambedkar.
There was no official confirmation from either the BJP or X on the Congress' claims.
The party reiterated that Shah had committed an "unforgivable crime" for which the Home minister should apologise to the nation and resign.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson and chairperson of the Social Media and Digital Platforms Supriya Shrinate claimed that Congress leaders, its MPs and the party's official handle, including herself, had received an email from the 'X', saying the government of India had asked it to delete Shah's speech shared by them.
She, however, added that the 'X' platform had refused to delete it in the spirit of freedom of speech. She said if Shah thinks there is nothing wrong in his speech, why has his ministry asked the 'X' to delete it.
Shrinate made it clear that what they had shared was the original speech of Shah and it was not edited or distorted. Besides, she also showed the 34-page unedited text of his speech available on the Rajya Sabha website where in he clearly says, that "it has become a fashion to mention the name of Dr Ambedkar and if they (the opposition leaders) take the name of God those many times, they will get to heaven for seven births".
Claiming this was "insulting and disrespectful" to the architect of the Constitution, the Congress spokesperson said Shah revealed the same mindset of his ideological ancestors who always opposed Ambedkar and condemned him as "anti-Hindu".
Shrinate also condemned the BJP and its 'X' handlers for distorting a picture of the Congress leaders carrying the photographs of Ambedkar while protesting against Shah's insult of him. She pointed out how on the BJP 'X' handle Ambedkar's picture was replaced with that of George Soros, whom the BJP calls "anti-national".
"How dare the BJP replace Dr Ambedkar's picture? This is the same ease with which they think they can replace India's Constitution," she asserted.
- 19 Dec 2024 1:27 PM IST
Kharge alleges that he has been injured after being pushed by BJP MPs
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly written a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that he “was pushed by BJP MPs and forced to sit down on the ground”.
Kharge, in his letter, wrote, “This inflicted an injury on my knees, which have undergone surgery.”
He said his colleagues brought a chair and he was made to sit on it. He said he limped to the House with great difficulty and with the support of his colleagues at 11 am.
There was a physical confrontation between MPs from the BJP and opposition MPs in the Parliament premises on Thursday (December 19).
