'Hooliganism' Or 'Distraction'? Parliament Chaos Snowballs Into Big BJP Vs Congress Row

Last Updated:December 19, 2024, 17:42 IST

Dramatic visuals emerged from Parliament on Thursday after a massive showdown between the BJP and Congress MPs over Home Minister Amit Shah's "Ambedkar is the fashion" quip in the Rajya Sabha.

Both BJP and Congress held press conferences over scuffle in Parliament. (Image: ANI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday slammed the INDIA bloc led by the opposition parties over the scuffle that took place in Parliament. Questioning Rahul Gandhi over the chaos, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the opposition leaders “Goondas" (Goons) and said that the country will never forget whatever happened in Parliament today.

“Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi just did a press conference. We thought they would apologise for what they did today. But they did not. Their press conference displayed their arrogance. I have been seeing his behaviour. But what he (Rahul Gandhi) did today is unimaginable by a civilised society," Shivraj Chouhan said.

The BJP maintained that the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi started pushing senior party leaders during the protest. “Our MPs have complained about the incident and BJP will take all the required legal action," Chouhan said.

Further accusing Rahul Gandhi of entering the Makar Dwar intentionally, the Union Minister said, “Today when BJP MPs were opposing at the Makar Dwar, Rahul Gandhi came there. Security personnel in fact told them to use the other space on the side to enter. But he came there on purpose."

Meanwhile, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held a press conference just minutes before the BJP and accused the saffron party of trying to erase the memories and contributions of the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar.

The remarks from both sides came after chaos unfolded outside Parliament on Thursday. Both BJP and INDIA bloc MPs got engaged in protest, counterprotests, and now a police case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over remark on BR Ambedkar by Amit Shah in Parliament during a debate on the Constitution.

Congress Accuses BJP Of ‘Distraction’

Addressing the media, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP MPs of stopping opposition leaders and said, “We were peacefully going to Parliament House from Ambedkar’s statue. BJP MPs did not let us go inside. The reality is that they have insulted Dr BR Ambedkar. The main issue they want to erase is that there is a case against Narendra Modi’s friend Adani in the United States."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also attacked the BJP MPs for trying to stop opposition leaders at the door. “They did this to show their muscle power. They forcefully attacked us," he said.

Clarifying the charge against him that he pushed BJP leaders, the Congress chief said, “I am not in a position to push anyone, but they pushed me. Now they are accusing us that we pushed them. So the kind of environment that the BJP people have created, we will never tolerate it, there will be a nationwide protest against this. The House which was running peacefully, that House was disrupted, the BJP government did the work of disrupting the peace."

Chaos In Parliament: What Happened?

Dramatic visuals emerged from Parliament on Thursday after a massive showdown between the BJP and Congress MPs over Home Minister Amit Shah’s “Ambedkar is the fashion" quip in the Rajya Sabha. The protests and counterprotests by BJP and Opposition leaders over Ambedkar row led to injuries to two BJP MPs – Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput.

The pushing and jostling from MPs belonging to both sides led to a chaotic situation, while BJP’s Pratap Sarangi was seen collapsed near the stairs of Makr Dwar, with blood oozing from his head. The 69-year-old MP later alleged that it was Rahul Gandhi who had pushed him.

Following the incident, a BJP MP slammed Rahul Gandhi and said, “Have you no shame? Look what you’ve done. You’ve pushed him." To this, Rahul Gandhi replied, “He pushed me."

The assertion of hurt to BJP MPs was followed by injury claims by the Congress camp too with party president Mallikarjun Kharge stating his knees had been hurt in the protest.

Kharge has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to order an inquiry into the BJP MPs “pushing" him, saying it was an assault not just on him but on the Rajya Sabha LoP and the Congress president.

News politics 'Hooliganism' Or 'Distraction'? Parliament Chaos Snowballs Into Big BJP Vs Congress Row