OPINION | Parliament's fight should not have gone to Police

The scuffle between Congress and BJP MPs outside the Makar Dwar gate of Parliament on Thursday was unprecedented and unfortunate. Two BJP MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were hospitalised with head injuries and trauma. Both parties filed complaints against each other in Parliament Street police station and the Speaker declared a ban on staging protests outside the gates of Parliament.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Friday as uproar continued with both sides blaming each other. BJP MPs filed a police complaint against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he shoved Mukesh Rajput, who was standing next to him, and Rajput fell on Sarangi.

 Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Rahul Gandhi of “behaving like a goon by pushing and shoving our MPs”.  He said security personnel had asked Rahul to enter Parliament from another gate, but he insisted on entering through the gate where BJP MPs were staging a protest.  “Their arrogance is on full display and today, I am upset and my mind is filled with pain”, Chouhan said.

Rahul Gandhi, with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sitting next to him, told a press conference that the “drama was pre-planned and it was a plan to cause distraction from the real issues about Adani and BR Ambedkar.” He denied that he pushed or shoved anybody. Congress alleged that Mallikarjun Kharge was pushed to the ground by BJP MPs.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to both injured BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput on the phone, while several Union Ministers visited the two in RML Hospital.

What happened outside the Parliament gate was unfortunate and shocking. Some facts stand out clearly. Rahul Gandhi insisted on entering from the gate where BJP MPs were protesting. Two MPs fell when he pushed some of the MPs. Both MPs are in hospital, with one of them having stitches in his forehead.

The first question is: Was it necessary for Rahul Gandhi to enter from that particular gate? Security personnel say they suggested an alternative route for him, but Rahul chose his path through the BJP MPs. Rahul alleges that he was pushed and shoved, while Congress is saying that Kharge was also pushed to the ground. The question arises: Why is there no video on what Rahul did or what happened to him and Kharge outside the gate?

Media personnel say, media cameras are not permitted to go up to the gate. Then the question arises: Were the MPs injured only because of the scuffle? Rahul is alleging that Modi is trying to shield Adani and this was part of a plot to scuttle the debate on Gautam Adani. Kharge is alleging that this was a conspiracy to avoid a debate on Babasaheb Ambedkar. They are free to make their arguments, but the fact is that two MPs were injured in the melee, and blood oozing from the forehead of one MP is visible in videos. How did this happen? Who did this? Congress has no reply to these questions.

It would have been better if Rahul Gandhi had visited the hospital and met the injured MP Pratap Sarangi, who had a cut on his forehead. He could have tendered an apology to him in hospital. This would have raised his prestige. Nobody would have got a chance to raise a dispute, but in today’s politics, ego reigns supreme. Nobody is willing to admit mistakes. Both sides insisted on filing FIRs. Both sides want to show their own videos. An issue that could have been solved by tendering an apology will now be examined by the police. This is not a good precedent for our parliamentary democracy.

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