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 12:50 PM IST
Congress always hated Ambedkar: Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday (December 19) slammed the Congress, alleging it has always hated BR Ambedkar and had even included a cartoon in an NCERT textbook showing Jawaharlal Nehru "whipping" Ambedkar.
He claimed that the "crocodile tears" of the Congress over Ambedkar are just pretence.
"Suddenly the Congress has got a lot of respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar. These crocodile tears of the Congress for Babasaheb are just a pretence, there is a huge difference between their words and actions. The Congress party's hatred and contempt for Babasaheb is well known,” Pradhan wrote in a post on X.
The Union Education Minister said that during the rule of the Congress-led UPA-2 government, a shameful cartoon was included in the NCERT textbook for Class 11 in 2012 in which Pandit Nehru was shown "whipping" Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"After strong opposition from BJP, then Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal apologised and announced to withdraw it.
The Union education minister said, "These corrupt people who give themselves 'Bharat Ratna' have never given proper respect to Babasaheb and when the Honorable Prime Minister Modi Ji is giving a grand honour to Babasaheb Ambedkar Ji, the Congress party is unable to digest it. The Congress party, which makes political gains in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar, takes his name only out of compulsion, while the truth is that the entire Congress party, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, has always hated Babasaheb," added Pradhan.
- 19 Dec 2024 12:14 PM IST
#WATCH | Union Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "Makar Dwar is the main entry gate of the Members of Parliament to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Congress and their other MPs kept on standing in that particular location and they have been showing placards and sloganeering for the… pic.twitter.com/gwvFmGGm2M
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024 - 19 Dec 2024 12:13 PM IST
Kharge submits privilege motion against Shah in RS
The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President @kharge ji has submitted a privilege notice against the Union Home Minister for his insulting remarks on Dr. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Dec 17, 2024 pic.twitter.com/mAYYipIABT
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 19, 2024 - 19 Dec 2024 11:58 AM IST
BJP MPs were pushing me, stopping me from going inside Parliament: Rahul
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that BJP MPs were pushing him and stopping him and other opposition MPs from entering Parliament. His remarks came after some BJP MPs claimed that Rahul pushed an MP, resulting in their leader Pratap Sarangi getting injured.
Sarangi was taken to hospital after getting injured in the melee when the protesting INDIA bloc and the BJP MPs came face to face in front of Makar Dwar in Parliament.
"I was trying to enter Parliament and the BJP MPs were stopping me, pushing me and threatening me," Gandhi told reporters in Parliament premises.
Asked if Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi had also been pushed, Rahul Gandhi said, "It has happened but we don't get bothered with this pushing around." "This is the entry to Parliament, we have a right to go inside and the BJP members were stopping us from going inside," he alleged and pointed to the Makar Dwar.
Rahul said the central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar.
- 19 Dec 2024 11:53 AM IST
Scuffle breaks out between BJP, Oppn MPs
As the two contingents of protesting MPs converged near Makar Dwar of Parliament shortly past 10AM, a scuffle broke out with MPs from both sides jostling for space. BJP MP Pratap Sarangi fell down during the scuffle and sustained a minor forehead injury; he has been taken to hospital. Sarangi has alleged that Rahul Gandhi was pushing MPs.
Congress, in the other hand, says BJP MPs were pushing Opposition MPs, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
- 19 Dec 2024 11:50 AM IST
NDA, INDIA Bloc MPs protest in Parl premises; BJP alleges Rahul pushed its MP
Ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc MPs took out separate protest marches over the Ambedkar issue on Thursday and came face to face at the Makar Dwar of the Parliament House, leading to jostling in which BJP MP Pratap Sarangi was injured.
He was taken to hospital with an injury on his forehead. BJP MPs alleged that Sarangi was pushed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha later told reporters that while he was trying to enter the Parliament House, BJP members pushed and "threatened" him.
"It is our right to enter Parliament," he said.
Nishikant Dubey of the BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi pushed an aged parliamentarian leading to his fall and subsequent injury.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned following noisy protests by the Opposition seeking an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on B R Ambedkar.
Dressed in blue, a colour associated with B R Ambedkar, INDIA bloc MPs, including the Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament premises demanding Amit Shah's resignation for his remarks related to the chief architect of the Constitution.
BJP-led NDA parliamentarians also carried out a march within Parliament premises, raising slogans and carrying placards demanding an apology from the opposition Congress for allegedly insulting Ambedkar.
As the INDIA bloc parliamentarians came face to face with the ruling coalition MPs in front of the Makar Dar of Parliament, the two sides engaged in loud sloganeering in a bid to outdo each other.
The INDIA bloc members first staged a protest at B R Ambedkar's statue in Parliament premises, carrying posters that read 'Main Bhi Ambedkar', 'Jai Bhim' and 'Amit Shah maafi maango'.
They then took out a protest march on the Parliament premises. MPs of the Congress, DMK, RJD, SP, the Left and NCP(SP), among others, participated in the protest. Several opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K Kanimozhi, were seen wearing blue.
