Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Criticizes Rahul Gandhi for Role in Parliament Altercation

A scuffle in Parliament between the opposition and the ruling party created a significant uproar on Thursday morning. The BJP-led government claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was protesting over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, pushed their MPs. An official FIR has been filed against Rahul Gandhi in connection with the incident.

In response to the altercation, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of pushing two BJP MPs during the protest by MPs from the NDA and the INDIA bloc. Rijiju remarked that pushing an MP was not a sign of "manliness" and emphasized that while heated exchanges have been a part of Parliament since 1952, it is unfortunate when incidents lead to injuries and force the police to take action. "The police action was prompted by the injuries that led to two MPs being hospitalized. This could have been avoided. The Leader of the Opposition should not have gotten involved in a scuffle," Rijiju said in an interview with NDTV.

What Exactly Happened ?

The scuffle occurred when MPs from the NDA and the INDIA bloc staged a protest on Parliament premises. During the heated exchange, two MPs were injured, escalating the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with both parties blaming each other for the incident. The tension between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition parties continued even after the altercation. On the last day of the winter session, Parliament proceedings were disrupted, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had to adjourn the House within three minutes, without giving a summary of the session’s highlights.

According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the productivity of the House stood at around 58%, a sharp decline from the usual 100% or more in previous sessions. During this winter session, five bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha, of which four were passed. Three bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, a special session was held at the Constitution House to celebrate Constitution Day on November 26.