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The Indian Parliament witnessed a tumultuous scene on Thursday, marked by intense protests, counter-protests, and physical altercations. The central trigger for this chaos was Home Minister Amit Shah's controversial remark about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, which he made during a two-day debate on the Constitution. Shah's quip, suggesting that the frequent invocation of Ambedkar's name by the opposition was merely a political tactic, ignited a firestorm of criticism from the opposition parties, notably the Congress and the Samajwadi Party. This sparked immediate and vehement responses, leading to a series of escalating events that culminated in the physical clashes within the Parliament building.
The BJP and the Congress engaged in a war of accusations, each side claiming that the other initiated the violence. The BJP, through Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, asserted that two of its MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, sustained serious injuries as a result of actions by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Rijiju's statement was laced with strong condemnation, questioning Gandhi's authority to use physical force within the Parliament and sarcastically referencing Gandhi's black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art. The BJP's response was swift and resolute, announcing its intention to pursue legal action against Gandhi and demanding a public apology.
Rahul Gandhi, however, presented a starkly contrasting narrative. He countered the BJP's claims, stating that he was attempting to enter the Parliament when a group of BJP MPs obstructed his path, pushing and shoving him and Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Gandhi emphasized that the scuffle was a direct consequence of the BJP's actions, asserting that the opposition had a right to enter the Parliament. He also challenged the BJP's version of events, suggesting that the alleged pushing and shoving incident was likely captured on camera. This claim underscores the significant disparity in accounts surrounding the incident and highlights the deeply partisan nature of the ensuing debate.
BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, one of the allegedly injured MPs, provided his account of the events. He described being pushed by an unidentified individual, who was then allegedly pushed by Rahul Gandhi, causing a chain reaction resulting in Sarangi's fall and subsequent head injury. The injury required immediate medical attention, as evidenced by visual footage showing Sarangi being transported to a hospital in an ambulance. This account, however, also lacks independent corroboration and raises further questions about the sequence of events and the level of culpability of the various parties involved.
The underlying tension surrounding Amit Shah's remark on Ambedkar significantly contributed to the volatile atmosphere within Parliament. Shah's comment, viewed by many as disrespectful to a revered figure in Indian history, prompted widespread outrage and calls for his resignation. The Congress, led by Mallikarjun Kharge, demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention, urging him to remove Shah from the Cabinet. This intensified the political conflict, transforming a simple comment into a major political crisis, with multiple privilege motions filed against Shah in the Rajya Sabha.
In a remarkable display of political unity, the BJP mounted a strong defense of Shah's controversial statement. Shah himself rejected the criticism, arguing that his words had been deliberately misinterpreted by the opposition. This defense was amplified by Prime Minister Modi, who took to social media platform X to vehemently denounce the opposition’s attack. The Prime Minister’s defense underscores the significance of the controversy and the BJP’s determination to not only defend Shah but also to counter what it sees as a calculated smear campaign against both Shah and the party. The Prime Minister’s forceful intervention reveals the political sensitivity of the issue and its potential impact on the ongoing political landscape.
The incident at Parliament highlights the deep political divisions within India and the increasingly strained relations between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party. The clash underscores the challenges facing the democratic process in the face of sharp political polarization and highlights the need for mechanisms to effectively address such situations while upholding the integrity of Parliament and the principles of democratic debate. The conflicting accounts of the incident, the lack of independent verification, and the absence of a clear resolution create a complex and unresolved situation with far-reaching political implications.
Source: "Learnt Kung Fu To Hurt MPs?" BJP After MP Blames Rahul Gandhi For Injury