Parliament scuffle: Congress vs BJP — what is the controversy and who are injured MPs Pratap Sarangi & Mukesh Rajput?

G war of words has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress after two saffron party MPs were injured during a face-off in Parliament premises over the alleged insult to B R Ambedkar.

The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing the senior members. However, the Congress leader rejected a charge and alleged that the BJP members were blocking the entrance when he was trying to enter Parliament and had been blocked by other MPs.

The Congress has termed it a ‘farcical drama’, calling it a grand display of the “BJP’s ‘Save Ambedkar-virodhi Amit Shah’ mission”.

Who are the two injured MPs?

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

Pratap Sarangi

Pratap Chandra Sarangi (69) is a BJP MP from Balasore in Odisha. He has completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Utkal University in Odisha. Currently, he is a member of the Committee on Water Resources and the Committee on Public Undertakings. From 2004 to 2014, he was the member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Earlier, he was the 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 an 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. He has done B.Sc. and completed education at R.P. Degree College, Kamalganj, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.

How is the MPs health?

Both the MPs were rushed and admitted to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Both of the leaders suffered head injuries and have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). On Pratap Sarangi’s injuries, he said that Sarangi was experiencing heavy bleeding, reported ANI quoting Medical Superintendent Ajay Shukla.

Speaking about Mukesh Rajput’s health, Shukla said that the MP had fallen unconscious earlier. “Mukesh Rajput had fallen unconscious. Right now, he is conscious, but he is dizzy and anxious. His BP had shot up,” he added.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

Reacting to the allegations, Rahul Gandhi said that this (incident) might be on your 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,” said Gandhi.

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, says Kharge

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the Leader of 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 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.