Day-long faceoff: Two BJP MPs injured, police lodge FIR against Rahul Gandhi

The two parties complained to police soon after Parliament descended into chaos on the penultimate day of the winter session when their members, accusing each other of denigrating the name of Dr B R Ambedkar, shoved and jostled at the Makar Dwar, the main entrance to the building, resulting in injuries to two BJP MPs, allegations and counter-allegations and petitions to the Speaker.

While the BJP alleged that the MPs – former Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput – fell and sustained injuries after Rahul Gandhi pushed them, the Congress wrote to Speaker Om Birla claiming that Gandhi was “physically manhandled” by three MPs from the ruling party.

S Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP from Nagaland, told Rajya Sabha that she “really felt uncomfortable” when Gandhi “came in very close proximity” to her during the protest. She said “he started shouting at me, which I feel is very unbecoming of the Leader of Opposition”.

Meanwhile, Kharge wrote to the Speaker saying he was “physically pushed by BJP MPs” and demanded an inquiry.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi who was injured on Thursday. (PTI)

Police acted on a complaint against Gandhi by BJP’s Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi who went to Parliament Street police station with party MPs Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj.

DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla said, “The FIR against Rahul Gandhi and others has been registered under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 131 (use of criminal force), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention). Further investigation is underway.”

Asked about the complaint filed by the Congress, Mahla said, “The other complaint is being looked into. We are examining its contents.”

Reacting to the FIR against Gandhi, Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera told The Indian Express: “We have also submitted a complaint. We are waiting for the police to convert it into an FIR.”

Asked about the BJP allegations in the FIR, Khera said: “The entire world saw what happened. Let the law take its course. We will fight it legally. We are still waiting for our complaint to be converted into an FIR.”

In his complaint, Joshi had alleged that at 10 am, he along with Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Rao Sarangi and other MPs were “peacefully demonstrating” at the Makar Dwar entrance of Parliament.

“Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha arrived at the scene around 10.40 am to 10.45 am. Despite a request from Parliament security to take the designated entry path, Shri Rahul Gandhi with a malicious intent to disrupt the protest and physically harm NDA Members of Parliament ignored the instructions and forcefully barged toward the peaceful demonstrators,” the complaint stated.

“Not only did Shri Rahul Gandhi and others violate the instructions of the security personnel to take a dedicated path to ensure safety concerns of the protesting MPs, he also instigated other INDI Alliance Members to proceed with force and aggression toward the NDA MPs, putting the safety of the demonstrators in jeopardy. They intentionally used physical force to push Members of Parliament Shri Mukesh Rajput and Shri Pratap Rao Sarang and others who were standing on the narrow stairs at the entrance,” Joshi said.

The Congress, in its complaint, alleged that BJP leaders misbehaved with Kharge. “Eighty-four-year-old Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge was pushed around and misbehaved with,” Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said. He was accompanied by party MPs Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik and Rajiv Shukla.

In their complaint, the MPs said that Kharge, Gandhi, Vadra, K C Venugopal and others were staging a “peaceful protest against the scathing remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah”.

“While the protest was completely peaceful in nature and marked by displaying placards and images of the late Dr BR Ambedkar, certain unscrupulous Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the BJP stood in the way of the protest march with the sole intention of causing ruckus. Despite their repeated attempts at disturbing the peaceful protest, the Opposition MPs did not budge… in their bid to stop the protest march, the BJP MPs exerted physical force on Shri Kharge Ji by pushing him to the ground. This has inflicted bodily injuries to Shri Kharge Ji, Shri Neeraj Dangi and others,” the complaint stated, seeking an FIR against BJP MPs under sections of causing hurt, assault and use of criminal force.

BJP leaders accused Gandhi of behaving in an “undemocratic” way. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “The Leader of Opposition pushed the MPs… MPs were pushed so hard that there was blood and they were hospitalised.”

The Congress, on the other hand, accused the BJP of “gundagardi”.

Defending Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told reporters: “We have been protesting for so many days and there is always space for people to enter freely… Today, for the first time, they (BJP MPs) protested and stopped everyone and then indulged in pushing and ‘gundagardi’. And now to save Amit Shah’s skin, they have started this conspiracy that Bhaiya has pushed someone. Right before my eyes, Khargeji was pushed and he fell on the ground. Then they pushed a CPI(M) MP who fell on Kharge ji. I thought it would have broken his leg as it was visible from his face that he was hurt.”

The unprecedented scenes disrupted Parliament proceedings and it could not transact any business. In the afternoon, Congress MPs carrying photographs of Ambedkar tried to climb on to the dais of the Speaker, shouting slogans. Both the ruling and Opposition MPs were shouting ‘Jai Bhim’ slogans.

The chaotic scenes outside began in the morning when MPs of the NDA and the INDIA bloc held separate protests on Parliament premises over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark about Ambedkar. While the NDA MPs were protesting at the Makar Dwar, INDIA bloc MPs led by Gandhi and Vadra, carrying photographs of Ambedkar, came marching from the Ambedkar statue on the premises.

While BJP MPs were on the steps leading to the entrance, Opposition MPs led by Gandhi insisted that they be allowed to enter the building – not through the space suggested by security personnel but through the centre. When they could not, Congress MPs K C Venugopal, Hibi Eden, Jothimani S, Praniti Shinde and a few others climbed on to the wall near the steps with pictures of Ambedkar and shouted slogans. Security personnel were seen struggling to bring them down. Amid the commotion, Congress MPs led by Vadra sat in protest at the main gate of the Old Parliament building even as both sides shouted slogans.

“I don’t know if you have it on your camera, but at the entrance of Parliament, I was trying to enter when BJP MPs tried to stop me, pushed me, and threatened me… Nothing will happen to us by pushing and shoving but this is the entrance to Parliament, and it is our right to come here… The central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and are insulting Ambedkarji’s memory,” Gandhi said.

Amid the commotion, Sarangi fell down and sustained an injury on his forehead. While being taken to hospital, Sarangi, who was bleeding from his forehead, said Gandhi while entering Parliament pushed an MP, who in turn fell on him and injured him. Sarangi claimed that he was standing near the stairs when Gandhi came and pushed another MP onto him. Sarangi and Rajput sustained injuries in the scuffle and were rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ajay Shukla said the two MPs were brought from Parliament with head injuries. “Both of them are in the ICU. We are trying to stabilise them,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Sarangi and Rajput and enquired about their health. Several BJP leaders, including Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Pralhad Joshi, met the two MPS at the hospital.

Visuals from the protest showed Gandhi walking up to a group of BJP MPs who were trying to help 69-year-old Sarangi get up. “Are you not ashamed, Rahul? You are resorting to gundagardi (rowdy behaviour). You pushed an old man,” BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was heard saying. “He pushed me,” Gandhi countered Dubey, while walking away.

As the BJP accused Gandhi of injuring two of its MPs, Kharge wrote to the Speaker that he was “physically pushed by BJP MPs” when he reached the Makar Dwar.

“Thereafter, I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground. This inflicted injury on my knees which have already undergone surgery. Subsequently, Congress MPs brought a chair and I was made to sit on it. With great difficulty and with the support of my colleagues, I limped to the House at 11 am. 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,” he said.

In a separate letter to the Speaker, a group of Congress MPs claimed Gandhi was physically manhandled by three MPs from the ruling party. “We hope that you will treat this matter with utmost seriousness and take appropriate action,” they said.