Accusing the BJP of being "anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitution," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that BJP MPs tried to stop them while they were trying to enter Parliament premises after their protest and claimed that the ruling party is using such tactics to divert attention from the Adani issue and Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks pertaining to BR Ambedkar.
Addressing a joint press conference with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, accused the ruling party MPs of deliberately obstructing the Opposition's efforts to raise issues in Parliament. "A few days before the Parliament session, the Adani case came up in America and the BJP tried to stop the discussion on it. The basic strategy of the BJP was that there should be no discussion on the Adani case, it should be suppressed. The main issue started with a case against Adani in the US. BJP's strategy was that this issue should not be discussed in the House. After that Amit Shah's statement came. We say that the BJP and the RSS are anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitutional, their Home Minister said that directly in the House," he said. "We were going to the House, their MPs were standing at the gate to stop us. The Home Minister should resign and apologise. The government wants to divert attention. The main issue is that Modiji's friend Adani has a case against him in the US, he does not want a discussion on this," Rahul Gandhi added. BJP-led NDA and INDIA bloc MPs had staged a protest in Parliament premises and there was a face off in which BJP leaders said two MPs were injured. BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi alleged that he was hurt after a push from Rahul Gandhi. Sarangi claimed that he was standing on stairs when another member of Parliament fell on him, leading to an injury on his head. "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..." Sarangi told reporters. The BJP MP was rushed for treatment in an ambulance. Both the MPs were admitted to Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Rahul Gandhi had earlier said he was trying to get inside the Parliament when he was also pushed and threatened by the BJP MPs who were protesting near the entrance. He alleged that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was also pushed. "This might be on your camera. I was trying to go inside through the Parliament entrance, but BJP MPs were trying to stop me, push me and threaten me. This has happened...Yes, this has happened (Mallikarjun Kharge being pushed)," Gandhi told reporters. (ANI)
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