Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have formally lodged an "attempt to murder" complaint with Delhi Police against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of physically assaulting two BJP MPs during a confrontation on the Parliament premises.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur announced the complaint, stating, "We have filed a complaint with Delhi Police against Rahul Gandhi for assault and incitement. The incident occurred today outside Makar Dwar, where NDA MPs were protesting peacefully." The complaint cites multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 109, which pertains to attempted murder, and Section 117, concerning voluntary grievous hurt.
The fight stemmed from a heated exchange between opposition and NDA MPs regarding remarks made about B.R. Ambedkar, which left former minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi injured. The BJP alleges that Gandhi pushed Sarangi, a claim Gandhi has denied. Tensions escalated when members of the INDIA bloc attempted to enter Parliament through a crowd of BJP MPs who were protesting rather than using the designated entrance.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed that BJP MP Mukesh Rajput also sustained injuries during the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Sarangi and Rajput to inquire about their well-being following the altercation, which saw Sarangi suffer injuries to his forehead and subsequently require medical attention at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
BJP member Nishikant Dubey accused Gandhi of "rowdy behaviour," stating, "Rahul pushed an old man." In response, Gandhi claimed he was obstructed by BJP MPs, leading to the chaos. "I was trying to enter Parliament, and the BJP MPs were stopping me, pushing me and threatening me," he said.
In a counter-move, Congress MPs submitted a complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging unruly conduct by BJP MPs. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed he was pushed to the ground, injuring his knees, and called for an investigation into the incident, framing it as an attack on the opposition leadership.
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned amid noisy protests, with the opposition demanding an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah for his comments regarding Ambedkar. Earlier, MPs from the INDIA bloc, dressed in blue to honour Ambedkar, staged a protest, demanding Shah's resignation.