New Delhi, December 20, 2024-A major fracas ensued on the Makar Dwar entrance of the Indian Parliament on Thursday, with a FIR lodged against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The incident has brought fresh friction between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the rival Congress party.
The Incident at Makar Dwar
On December 19th, opposition INDIA bloc members, including Congress MPs, gathered in front of the Makar Dwar entrance to protest comments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
At the same time, BJP MPs staged an opposing protest, condemning Congress for alleged historic insensitivity toward Ambedkar. These protests clashed and developed into hand-to-hand fighting between the two parties.
In the scuffle that ensued, BJP’s Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput sustained head injuries; the BJP alleges that Rahul Gandhi forced his way through members of their party and caused such injuries.
Pictures from the incident portray a scene of utter chaos with MPs from either side exchanging heated verbal insults.
Legal Actions and Investigations
After the tussle took place, an FIR was lodged against Rahul Gandhi by the Delhi Police for voluntarily causing hurt, endangering human life, committing mischief, and criminally intimidating others.
Police plan to record statements of injured MPs and summon Gandhi for questioning. Besides, they are trying to obtain CCTV footage from Parliament for reconstruction of the incident.
The Congress also registered a counter-complaint, saying the BJP MPs had misbehaved with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. They said the BJP premeditated the tussle to deflect focus from the Ambedkar controversy.
Congress leaders accused the Delhi Police of bowing down to political pressure, and stated that the action being taken against Rahul Gandhi is politically biased.
Political Repercussions
Incidentally, the scuffle has once again strained BJP-Congress relations with both parties hurling accusations at each other. BJP leaders have condemned the incident, describing it as a manifestation of the “ugly face” of Congress and a premeditated attack on parliament. They have demanded tough action against those behind the assault on their MPs.
In other words, leaders of Congress, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have branded the allegations against Rahul Gandhi as baseless. They say that BJP plays such tricks to malign the opposition and suppress dissent.
Priyanka Gandhi has said, “The entire country is watching… There are numerous FIRs lodged against Rahul Gandhi… this only testifies to their level of desperation.”
Parliamentary Disruptions
The ongoing winter session has been persistently disturbed with both Houses adjourned several times on account of protests and counter-protests. The latest scuffle has aggravated the problem, resulting in adjournments and disruption of legislative business.
Speaker Om Birla has expressed concern regarding the behavior of Members of Parliament and has insisted upon decorum in Parliament.
Public and Media Reaction
The news has captured wide media attention. News channels successfully broadcast footage of the scuffle and debate the conduct of elected officials.
It looks like public opinion is somewhat divided as backers from both sides, like two drunkard mothers, stand up for their respective leaders and condemn the escalation of physical confrontations in the country’s highest law-making body.
Yesterday’s dust-up at the Makar Dwar’s gateway vividly portrays the aggravating tensions between the chief political opposition parties of India. With the investigation getting under way, the attention now centers on extracting facts about the incident.
The episode has instigated a greater discussion regarding the requisite competency for civil discourse and adherence to democratic principles within the domain of Parliament.
