New Delhi:
A police case has been registered against Congress’s Rahul Gandhi following a complaint by the BJP, holding him responsible for injuries to two MPs of the party. Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput sustained head injuries during parallel protests from Treasury and Opposition benches outside parliament. Both leaders, one of whom is 69 years old, are in the hospital.
Mr Gandhi has been accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita. The allegations include voluntarily causing grievous hurt, act of endangering life or personal safety of others, use of criminal force, criminal intimidation and common intention.
The complaint was filed earlier today by former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur, and MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Hemang Joshi, who, among other things, accused him of attempt to murder.
“Today, we have filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi for assault and provocation where we have mentioned in detail the incident that happened today outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament House, where NDA MPs were protesting peacefully, and Rahul Gandhi pushed them and injured them, due to which two BJP MPs are hospitalised,” Anurag Thakur had told reporters.
Pratap Sarangi has claimed that he got injured after Rahul Gandhi pushed Mr Rajput. They were standing on the stairs when Mr Rajput fell on him. “Rahul Gandhi pushed a member of Parliament who fell on me after which I fell down…I was standing near the stairs when Rahul Gandhi came and pushed an MP who then fell on me…” Mr Sarangi has said.
Various leaders of the BJP have accused Mr Gandhi of hooliganism – allegations the Leader of the Opposition has denied. Mr Gandhi said it was a ruse to deflect attention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on BR Ambedkar. The Congress has also filed a complaint with the police, as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that he was pushed by BJP MPs and sustained injuries on his legs.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland Phangnon Konyak, meanwhile, said Mr Gandhi had “shouted” at her during the protest and she felt his behaviour was “unbecoming” of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
“It was a peaceful protest. As we were there… I also did not know it was him but he came in front of me and started shouting at me, which I did not like,” she told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
“There were so many of us, there was no space to move, nobody was blocking anyone. He said ‘you cannot block me’ or something, accusing, charging, which I really did not like,” she added, underscoring that she has filed a complaint about this with the Rajya Sabha chairman.
