New Delhi: The footage of CCTVs installed in the Parliament premises “holds the reality” of the scuffle that broke out between members of the BJP and Congress Thursday morning, said Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Thursday, hours after the ruling NDA filed a complaint against him with the Delhi Police. Gandhi has been accused of “physical assault and incitement” after an alleged scuffle with BJP MPs in the Parliament premises.
Addressing a press conference in the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi, clad in a T-shirt in blue, a colour associated with the Dalit movement, said that the BJP was attempting to “distract” people from Home Minister Amit Shah’s “anti-Ambedkar” remark by raking up the ‘scuffle’.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate Tuesday, Amit Shah said, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai, ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete, toh saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (it has become fashionable to take Ambedkar’s name. If one were to take god’s name this often, they would have got a place in heaven for several lives).”
Rahul Gandhi’s statement Thursday indicated that the Congress would not step aside from the controversy around the comment — which has galvanised the Opposition ranks at a time disagreements over leadership and other problems were threatening to pull apart the INDIA bloc.
As Gandhi made his way out of the press conference room, reporters asked him if the CCTV footage of the Parliament premises — which captured the scuffle — should be released. “You check the CCTV footage,” he responded.
On being told that the footage was reportedly being withheld, Gandhi said, “How will they release it? It contains reality after all”.
Addressing the press conference, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged he was pushed by BJP MPs. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Kharge said the BJP MPs made him lose balance and get hurt on his knees, which have “already undergone surgery”.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi’s blue T-shirt — a break from his usual white T-shirt — the Congress also sought to infuse symbolism in other ways.
As the Congress leaders sat on the dais of the packed press conference room, a B.R. Ambedkar quote — “The bonfire of Manusmriti was quite intentional. We made a bonfire of it because we view it as a symbol of injustice under which we have been crushed across centuries” — formed the backdrop.
Rahul Gandhi said the “anti-Constitution, anti-Ambedkar” wanted to “erase” the Dalit icon’s memory. Shah’s remarks, he said, brought out the “real mindset” of the BJP-RSS on Ambedkar and issues concerning him.
“They launched a fresh attempt to distract us today. We were returning to the Parliament House from the Ambedkar statue. On our way back, we found BJP MPs sitting with sticks on the steps of the Parliament. They prevented us from entering the House,” he said. “The reality is that they insulted Ambedkar. The home minister should resign. And the main issue is the indictment of PM Modi’s friend Adani in the US. They don’t want a discussion on it.”
While the BJP seeks to corner Rahul Gandhi, the INDIA bloc is rallying behind him. A group of MPs from the alliance wrote to Birla, alleging that Gandhi was physically manhandled by three BJP MPs.
“This is a clear violation of the privileges extended to the Leader of Opposition and infringes on the rights accorded to him in his official capacity as an MP,” they wrote.
On X, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted, “I know Rahul, he would not push anyone.”
I know Rahul, he would not push anyone much less a member of parliament. It’s simply not in his nature to be rude or nasty to anyone. https://t.co/t0zCaQRvHT
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 19, 2024
TMC MP Mahua Moitra responded to Abdullah, saying, “I couldn’t agree more Omar. These guys are a bunch of shameless liars.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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