'Gross misuse of anger': Union Minister Kiren Rijiju slams Rahul Gandhi for violence in Parliament
By Ajay Joseph | First Published Dec 19, 2024, 12:52 PM ISTThe altercation took place as both the BJP and the Congress staged protest marches. The Congress, dressed in blue to symbolize Dalit resistance, carried photographs of BR Ambedkar while raising slogans of "Jai Bheem" and "Amit Shah, apologise."
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (December 19) said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi physically assaulted BJP MPs during a protest in Parliament, escalating tensions over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Dalit icon BR Ambedkar. Rijiju accused Gandhi of leading Congress MPs in a violent confrontation at the Makar Dwar, the main entry gate for Parliament members.
Speaking to reporters, Rijiju said, "Congress MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, pushed and assaulted BJP MPs Pratap Singh Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, causing serious injuries. This kind of physical violence is unacceptable in a democracy."
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He also that Sarangi and Rajput sustained "grievous injuries," with reports of bleeding, and are currently undergoing medical treatment.
The altercation took place as both the BJP and the Congress staged protest marches. The Congress, dressed in blue to symbolize Dalit resistance, carried photographs of BR Ambedkar while raising slogans of "Jai Bheem" and "Amit Shah, apologise." The BJP, in a counter-protest, accused the Congress of disrespecting Ambedkar and demanded an apology for its historical treatment of the Dalit leader.
At one point, the two marches converged at the Makar Dwar, leading to a heated exchange of slogans. According to Rijiju, the situation escalated when Congress MPs, allegedly under Gandhi's leadership, resorted to physical aggression.
"This gross misuse of anger and frustration by Rahul Gandhi is condemnable. We are not retaliating physically because we believe in democracy and nonviolence," Rijiju said, demanding a public apology from Gandhi.
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The Congress dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused the BJP of diverting attention from Amit Shah's controversial remarks. "This is a deliberate attempt to shift focus from the disrespect shown to Ambedkar. Our protests will continue," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The uproar took place from Shah's statement in Parliament, where he accused the Congress of using Ambedkar's name for political gains. "It has become a fashion for them to repeatedly invoke Ambedkar’s name without following his ideals," Shah had remarked.
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