A heated day in Parliament on Thursday saw protests, counterprotests, and allegations of violence, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi now facing a police case following a scuffle with BJP members. The confrontation occurred after Home Minister Amit Shah’s controversial “Ambedkar is the fashion” remark, which sparked a fierce political exchange between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress.
BJP Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of using force against two BJP MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, who were allegedly “seriously injured” during the clash.
Rijiju questioned how Gandhi could use physical force in Parliament and sarcastically asked whether he had learned martial arts, including Aikido, to “beat other MPs.” He emphasized that Parliament was not a “wrestling arena” and demanded an apology from Gandhi.
Rijiju also stated that he intended to visit the injured MPs in the hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also said to have contacted Sarangi and Rajput following the incident.
ALSO READ: ‘His physical proximity made me feel uncomfortable’: Woman BJP MP files complaint against Rahul Gandhi
In response, Rahul Gandhi refuted the BJP’s allegations. Speaking to reporters, he claimed that it was the BJP MPs who had blocked his and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s entry into Parliament, pushing and shoving them. Gandhi expressed frustration at the treatment, emphasizing that the opposition had the right to enter the building and that the physical altercations were triggered by the BJP MPs’ actions.
BJP MP Sarangi, who was injured in the incident, recounted that he had fallen and hurt his head after an unidentified person fell on him, allegedly due to a push by Gandhi. Sarangi, seen in a wheelchair with a bandaged head, described the sequence of events and said that he was near the stairs when Gandhi’s push led to the incident. He was later taken to the hospital.
ALSO READ: ‘Do you support the insult of Baba Saheb?’ Kejriwal trains guns at NDA allies Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu
The altercation comes after Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about Dr. BR Ambedkar on Monday, where he criticized the opposition for repeatedly invoking Ambedkar’s name. His comment, calling the repeated references to Ambedkar “the fashion,” triggered sharp reactions from the opposition, with Congress and the Samajwadi Party demanding an apology and Shah’s resignation. Congress leader Kharge has even called for Prime Minister Modi to remove Shah from the Cabinet if he truly respected Ambedkar.
On Wednesday, Shah defended his statement, accusing the opposition of distorting his words and rejecting calls for his resignation. He also took a jibe at Kharge, suggesting that even if he resigned, it wouldn’t solve the opposition’s problems. In a rare defense, Prime Minister Modi and other BJP members rallied behind Shah, dismissing the opposition’s claims and accusing them of attempting to erase Ambedkar’s legacy.
