Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 19: The relationship between the opposition and the treasury benches hit a new low on Thursday with protest, counter-protests and brawls, and an attempt to murder police complaint against the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and both sides accusing each other of resorting to violence.
While Mr Rahul Gandhi alleged that BJP MPs were pushing him and stopping him and other Opposition MPs from entering Parliament, the BJP accused Mr Gandhi of assaulting two of their MPs with the BJP and Congress trading allegations of each using force to prevent rivals from entering the building.
At the centre of the mutual accusations was the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged “insult” of the framer of the constitution BR Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha while giving reply to the debate on the 75 years of the constitution on Tuesday with the BJP launching an all-out attack against Mr Gandhi and his “ego bigger than law”. The jabs were hurled by the BJP’s Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj after they were rushed to the Parliament Street Police Station to file a complaint over injuries allegedly inflicted on two of their colleagues by Mr Gandhi.
The MPs – Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput – were “seriously injured” by Mr Gandhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed, as the government and the opposition began the day with protests outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar. In a sarcastic quip aimed at Mr Gandhi – who holds a black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art – he also said, “Have you learnt karate, kung fu, to beat other MPs?” Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Mr Sarangi and Mr Rajput and enquired about their health after they reportedly sustained injuries in the Parliament complex, sources said.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also accused Mr Gandhi of resorting to “goondagardi” (hooliganism). Mr Rijiju said appropriate action would be taken. “Parliament is not a place to show physical strength. It is not a wrestling ring,” Mr Rijiju added. Mr 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.
Shortly afterwards the Congress claimed an injury to one of its own; the party president and the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. And then the trading of allegations escalated – first the BJP’s Nagaland MP, Phangnon Konyak, accusing Mr Gandhi of misbehaving with her, and then the Congress’ Jebi Mather claimed mistreatment of Priyanka Gandhi and other women MPs from her party.
Both the Congress and the BJP have alleged that members from the opposite side attacked and pushed their MPs when legislators from the Opposition party were entering Parliament House on Thursday morning. While the Congress was protesting Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar, the BJP had organised a counter-protest against the Opposition party, alleging it had disrespected the architect of the Constitution.
The BJP/NDA protests were a counter to INDIA bloc protests over Home Minister Amit Shah’s reference to Ambedkar. INDIA bloc MPs took out a march within the Parliament complex, demanding Mr Shah’s apology and resignation. Amid these allegations and counter allegations, the Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned within a minute after obituary references.
“I was trying to enter Parliament and the BJP MPs were stopping me, pushing me and threatening me,” Mr Gandhi told reporters in Parliament premises. Asked if Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi had also been pushed, Mr 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. Mr Gandhi said the central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar.
The protesting INDIA bloc MPs also came face to face with demonstrating BJP MPs in front of Makar Dwar of Parliament as the two sides engaged in loud sloganeering in a bid to outdo each other and a melee ensued as the MPs were moving towards the steps to go inside Parliament building.
Mr Kharge wrote to Speaker Om Birla, accusing BJP MPs of pushing him and asked Mr Birla to conduct an inquiry. “When I reached Makar Dwar along with the INDIA parties MPs, I was physically pushed by BJP MPs. Thereafter, I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar. This inflicted on my knees which have already undergone surgery,” the letter read. “I urge you to order an inquiry into this incident which is an assault not just on me personally but on the Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha and the Congress President,” Mr Kharge added.
As the day wound down, the two sides also traded press conferences, each slamming and accusing the other of ‘goonda–gardi‘ and wanting apologies – the BJP from Mr Gandhi, the Congress from Mr Shah. “The BJP and the RSS (the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ruling party’s ideological mentor) thinking is anti-Constitution, anti-Ambedkar,” Mr Gandhi said in his presser, while union ministers Piyush Goyal and Shivraj Chouhan calling the Congress leader’s actions “shameful” and “unimaginable.”
Mr Gandhi also told reporters, “This (the shoving) might be on your camera.” The Congress leader has been staunchly defended by the National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, who declared, “I know Rahul, he would not push anyone much less a Member of Parliament.”
The injured BJP MP, Mr Sarangi, said he fell and hurt his head after a third person (unidentified at this time) fell on him. Mr Sarangi said Mr Gandhi had pushed this person who then fell on him. “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on me, after which I fell down…I was standing near the stairs when Rahul Gandhi came and pushed an MP who then fell on me…” he told reporters from a wheelchair and with a medical professional holding a bandage to the side of his head.
Hitting out at the BJP and clarifying the party’s stance on the tussle, Mr Gandhi said the chaos was engineered to distract from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘fashion’ remarks on BR Ambedkar that ignited a massive row between the Opposition and the ruling party.
Keeping a copy of the Constitution in front of him while addressing a press conference, Mr Gandhi said the BJP has been trying to distract from the issues since the Parliament session began and the Congress has always said the ruling party’s thought process is “anti-constitutional and anti-Ambedkar” and that it wants to erase Ambedkar’s memory and contribution.
“The Home Minister exposed this mindset (with his remarks). We called for an apology and a resignation, which did not happen. Today, they began a new distraction. Opposition MPs were heading to Parliament House from Ambdekar ji‘s statue and BJP MPs were standing near the stairs with sticks in their hands, refusing to let us go in,” Mr Gandhi said. “The reality is that he (Mr Shah) has insulted Ambedkar ji. The Home Minister should apologise and resign,” he added.
Mr Kharge, who also addressed the press conference, said the party condemns Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar and the mindset they portray. “He refused to accept he had done anything wrong. We asked for his resignation and, failing that, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack him. We realised neither of these things was going to happen, so leaders of our party, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, protested. But the BJP is trying to divert the issue,” Mr Kharge said.
The Congress president claimed BJP MPs tried to prevent legislators from his party from entering Parliament and attacked them. He said he was also pushed and sat on the ground after losing balance. “After doing this, they are alleging we pushed people and caused injuries. They were sitting and making fun of us. There were many woman MPs with us too… We will not tolerate this. The movement (against Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar) will become a national one,” he asserted.
