Parliament scuffle: BJP vs Rahul Gandhi – What is the controversy; who are injured MPs Pratap Sarangi, Mukesh Rajput?

A war of words has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress after two BJP MPs were injured during a confrontation in Parliament over an alleged insult to B R Ambedkar.

The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing senior party members, while the Congress leader denied the charge. He claimed that BJP members were blocking the entrance as he attempted to enter Parliament and that he had been blocked by other MPs.

The Congress called it a “farcical drama”, criticizing the BJP’s “Save Ambedkar-virodhi Amit Shah” mission.

In response, the BJP filed a police complaint against Rahul Gandhi, while the Congress also lodged a complaint against the BJP.

Who are the two injured MPs?

Two BJP MPs — Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput — suffered head injuries during the face-off and have been admitted to the ICU of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi.

Pratap Sarangi

Pratap Chandra Sarangi (69) is a BJP MP from Balasore, Odisha. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Utkal University in Odisha. Currently, he serves as a member of the Committee on Water Resources and the Committee on Public Undertakings. From 2004 to 2014, he was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Previously, he held key positions, including General Secretary of VHP Odisha, Vice-President of BJP Odisha, and State President of Odisha Bajrang Dal.

Mukesh Rajput

Mukesh Rajput is a BJP leader and MP from the Farrukhabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In the 2024 elections, he defeated Samajwadi Party candidate Naval Kishor Shakya by over 2,600 votes. He is a member of the Committee on Public Undertakings and the Committee on Labour, Textiles, and Skill Development. Rajput holds a B.Sc. and completed his education at R.P. Degree College in Kamalganj, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.

How is the MPs’ health?

Both MPs were rushed to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering head injuries. Regarding Pratap Sarangi’s condition, Medical Superintendent Ajay Shukla reported that Sarangi was experiencing heavy bleeding, according to ANI.

Speaking about Mukesh Rajput’s health, Shukla said that the MP had initially lost consciousness. “Mukesh Rajput had fallen unconscious. He is now conscious but feels dizzy and anxious. His blood pressure had spiked,” Shukla added.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

Reacting to the allegations, Rahul Gandhi said that this (incident) might have been caught on camera. “I was trying to go inside through the Parliament entrance, BJP MPs were trying to stop me, push me and threaten me. So this happened… Yes, this has happened (Mallikarjun Kharge being pushed).

“We do not get affected by jostling. The central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar ji,” Gandhi said.

BJP files complaint against Rahul Gandhi

BJP MP Anurag Thakur stated that they have filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against Rahul Gandhi for physical assault. “We described the incident in detail, which took place at Makar Dwar where NDA MPs were trying to expose the Congress’ propaganda,” he said.

Conspiracy, says Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed the BJP’s allegations that her brother and party leader Rahul Gandhi pushed a BJP MP a “conspiracy to save Home Minister Amit Shah’s skin”.

“Today, for the first time, they (BJP MPs) protested and stopped everyone and then indulged in pushing and ‘goodagardi’ (hooliganism)’. And now, to save Amit Shah’s skin, they have started this conspiracy that ‘bhaiya’ has pushed someone,” the Congress general secretary said.

“This is a conspiracy. We challenged those who were stopping us to say ‘Jai Bhim’. Why can’t they raise the slogan of ‘Jai Bhim’?” Priyanka Gandhi asked.

Order probe: Kharge writes to speaker

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birlaa and asked him to initiate an inquiry into the incident, claiming he was physically pushed by BJP MPs on Parliament premises following which he lost his balance.

“I was physically pushed by BJP MPs. I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar. This inflicted injuries on my knees, which have already undergone surgery,” Kharge said.

“It is not an assault on just me but on the Rajya Sabha LoP and the Congress president,” said Kharge, urging the speaker to order an inquiry into the BJP MPs “pushing” him.

Omar Abdullah defends Rahul Gandhi

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defended Rahul Gandhi, saying it was not in his nature to be nasty or rude.

“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,” Abdullah posted on his handle.

Congress to file complaint

A delegation of Congress MPs, including women MPs, have rushed to Parliament Street Police station to complain against the BJP.

“We have come here to file a complaint against how our 84-year-old, a Dalit leader (Mallikarjun Kharge), was pushed. He was misbehaved with,” said Congress MP Pramod Tiwari.