A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including MPs Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj, filed a police complaint against senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, December 19, accusing him of being allegedly involved in “physical assault and incitement” during a scuffle at Parliament.
“We have filed a complaint against Mr Rahul Gandhi for physical assault and incitement,” Thakur told media, outside the police station.
In its written complaint, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing the senior member, a charge rejected by the Congress leader.
A complaint under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 115 (attempt to murder), 117(voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 125 (endanger the personal safety or life of others ), 131 (punishment for assault or criminal force that is not in response to grave and sudden provocation) and 351 ( criminal intimidation).
A senior officer said police have received the complaint and are looking into it.
Earlier in the day, a face-off at the Parliament entry steps, Makar Dwar, between the Opposition and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs over the alleged insult to Dr B R Ambedkar left former minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi as well as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge injured.
Sarangi was taken to the hospital with a forehead injury, while Kharge, whose knees had undergone surgery in the past, complained of pain after falling. Both the marches were taken out over the Ambedkar issue, with the Opposition accusing Union home minister Amit Shah of insulting the chief architect of the Constitution.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi later told reporters that while he was trying to enter the Parliament House, BJP members pushed and “threatened” him. “It is our right to enter Parliament,” he said.
BJP indulging in distraction: Congress
The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of diverting attention from the issue of Home Minister Amit Shah’s “insult” to BR Ambedkar and said Shah must resign and apologise for his remarks.
Addressing a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi condemned Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar and said they would continue to protest across the country.
“The BJP wants to divert attention from Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar and that is why they are raising other issues,” Kharge told reporters.
He said they (Congress leaders) were only demanding the resignation of Home Minister Shah and were protesting “in support of our demands, but the BJP MPs blocked us from entering Parliament”.
“They pushed me, I lost my balance and sat down,” the Congress chief said, adding that he condemns Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar.
Kharge said they would run a nationwide movement on the Ambedkar issue.
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