A day after filing a First Information Report (FIR) against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in response to a complaint from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Delhi Police has transferred the case to its Crime Branch. The FIR stems from a scuffle on Parliament premises that resulted in injuries to two BJP MPs.
The Interstate Cell (ISC) of the Crime Branch will handle the investigation, which includes charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, and the use of criminal force. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Kumar Sain announced that a team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramesh Lamba will oversee the inquiry.
The Crime Branch received documents related to the case around 8 PM on Friday. In addition to the BJP's complaint, the Congress party has also lodged a complaint against BJP MPs, alleging that they pushed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to the ground, causing him injuries. DCP Sain confirmed that the investigation would include this complaint as well.
A senior police officer indicated that permission would be sought from relevant authorities to inspect the crime scene on Parliament grounds in the coming days.
Both the BJP and Congress filed separate complaints at the Parliament Street police station on Thursday, each accusing the other of assault. As the winter session of Parliament concluded, Congress intensified its criticism of the BJP, asserting that it was unprecedented for the ruling party to prevent parliamentary proceedings.
Congress reiterated calls for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over remarks they deemed disrespectful to Dr BR Ambedkar and demanded an apology from Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also requested the release of CCTV footage from the scuffle.
In a press conference following the adjournment of Parliament, Congress deputy leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Pramod Tiwari emphasised that this incident marked a historical first, where the ruling party obstructed the functioning of Parliament. Tiwari detailed the physical altercation, stating, “Our 83-year-old Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha was pushed to the ground,” and called for the immediate release of all related footage.
Gogoi further claimed that BJP male members overpowered Congress female MPs during the incident and expressed frustration over the lack of response to their police complaint.
In response, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of disseminating an "edited" version of Shah's speech to incite public unrest. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has submitted a notice of breach of privilege against Gandhi and Kharge to Speaker Om Birla, asserting that their actions were intended to mislead the public and undermine the dignity of Parliament.