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In the absence of any videos of the actual incident with the two BJP MPs or to support the Congress claims of party chief Kharge being pushed around, the key now lies in the CCTV footage of the event
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visits BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi who got injured in Parliament on Thursday. (PTI)
It was the first time in this Parliament session that BJP decided to hold a protest at the Makr Dwar on Thursday at 10am. By 10.15am, over 100 party MPs were present at the site.
But just 20 minutes later, an equally big contingent of INDIA bloc MPs also arrived at the spot and an unprecedented confrontation ensued for the next 30 minutes, with a slogan-slanging match followed by pushing and jostling amongst the MPs.
BJP MPs had started collecting at Makr Dwar from 10am after the party decided to protest there, demanding an apology from the Congress for insulting Bhim Rao Ambedkar over the years. BJP MPs were carrying placards and speaking to the media till 10.35am.
It was then that Congress MPs, led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, marched towards the Makr Dwar after taking a round of the Old Parliament building from the Bhimrao Ambedkar statue. Vadra was accompanied by MPs of various INDIA bloc allies like DMK, Samajwadi Party and the Left.
While the CISF security team tried to divert the Congress march towards an entry near the Makr Dwar, the Congress MPs led by Vadra chose to enter the cordon from near the Old Parliament building entry and came face-to-face with the protesting BJP MPs. Rahul Gandhi also entered the face-off, wearing a bright blue t-shirt.
What followed was a war of words between both sides, with nearly 150-200 MPs inside the open enclosure in front of the Makr Dwar. While Congress MPs were shouting slogans against Home Minister Amit Shah and chanting ‘Jai Bhim’ while carrying placards of Ambedkar, BJP MPs responded with equal vocal force, shouting slogans like ‘Congress sharm karo’ in the face of Congress leaders.
Both sides remained in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation and the Gandhis and some Congress MPs then chose to sit down in front of Makr Dwar and continue the protest. All this continued for nearly 15 minutes. The CISF was unable to create any perimeter between both groups as they did not want to touch any of the MPs as per protocol.
The problem started around 11am when Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra decided to enter Parliament through Makr Dwar by going through the BJP MPs in front of them. It was then that a lot of pushing and jostling was seen amongst the MPs and BJP’s Pratap Sarangi was later seen collapsed near the stairs of Makr Dwar, with blood oozing from his head. He alleged that it was Rahul Gandhi who had pushed him.
A PTI video has now surfaced where Rahul Gandhi can be seen approaching Sarangi to check on him as BJP’s Nishikant Dubey is seen telling the Congress leader that he should be ashamed for pushing Sarangi. Rahul Gandhi quickly left the spot, denying that he had pushed Sarangi and instead said it were the BJP MPs who had pushed him.
At the end of the day, two BJP MPs have reached hospital with injuries while Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has claimed he was also pushed by BJP MPs. Some INDIA group MPs also climbed the boundary wall of Makr Dwar with Ambedkar pictures and a woman MP climbed up to the statue on Makr Dwar as well in scenes never seen in the new Parliament building so far.
Union minister Giriraj Singh told News18 that it was complete “anarchy and gunda-gardi” by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress behaviour was condemnable as it had left two BJP MPs seriously injured. “Congress MPs could have used the side ramp to enter Parliament through Makr Dwar but they chose a confrontation,” Singh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called up the two MPs to check on their condition. Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, could face an FIR in the matter.
Manickam Tagore of the Congress said the BJP MPs tried to block the way of Congress MPs and “Rahul Gandhi is not the kind of person to push anyone”.
In the absence of any videos of the actual incident with the two BJP MPs or to support the Congress claims of Kharge being pushed around, the key now lies in the CCTV footage of the event as Makr Dwar is completely covered by cameras. Video evidence of the same is now key and could finally throw light on what happened on Tuesday.
