Last Updated:
Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput suffered head injuries during a bitter standoff between BJP and Congress MPs in the Parliament over the ongoing Ambedkar row.
BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were hurt during the BJP-Congress standoff in Parliament today. (Photo: ANI)
Ambedkar row in Parliament: Dramatic scenes ensued in the Parliament premises on Thursday as BJP and Opposition MPs carried out protest marches following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s big remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar. Both parties traded allegations of “assault” as the protests intensified.
Two BJP MPs, Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, reportedly sustained injuries during the bitter BJP-Congress standoff in the Parliament. Sources said the BJP is planning to file a police complaint over the incident as party members condemned Rahul Gandhi for “hooliganism”.
On the other hand, veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding an inquiry into the alleged assault by BJP MPs during the chaotic protest march. The Congress alleged that BJP MPs deliberately pushed opposition leaders and blocking them from reaching the Parliament.
#WATCH | TDP MP Appalanaidu Kalisetti meets BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi at RML Hospital. He is admitted here after sustaining injuries during jostling with INDIA Alliance MPs.(Video Source: Appalanaidu Kalisetti) pic.twitter.com/IOE6fUe2gJ
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024
ALSO READ: ‘Not Kushti Ka Akhada’: Kiren Rijiju Demands Rahul Gandhi’s Apology Over BJP MPs’ Alleged Assault
Who Are The Two MPs Injured During Parliament Protests?
Pratap Chandra Sarangi, the 69-year-old BJP MP from Odisha’s Balasore constituency, has held key positions in his decades-long political career. Born in the village of Gopinathpur, Nilagiri in Balasore district, Sarangi worked for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal.
Sarangi contested the Odisha Assembly elections from Nilagiri in 2004 and won two consecutive terms. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Balasore and lost. He tried again in 2019 and defeated Biju Janata Dal candidate Rabindra Kumar Jena. He was appointed the Minister of State for the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as well as the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
Mukesh Lodhi Rajput, 56, is a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad constituency. He was born on August 8, 1968, and has a Bachelor of Science degree from RP Degree College in Farrukhabad. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from the Farrukhabad constituency in 2014.
What They Alleged?
The two MPs suffered head injuries as BJP and Opposition MPs came face to face in front of the Makar Dwar in Parliament. Sarangi alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, who fell on him, resulting in his wounds.
“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…” Singh told reporters. Both Sarangi and Rajput were admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and are being treated for their injuries.
ALSO READ: ‘Video Evidence Key’: Can Rahul Gandhi Go To Jail For ‘Pushing’ BJP MP? Here’s What Rules Say
Meanwhile, Rajput also alleged that Rahul Gandhi has pushed him, causing him to fall on Sarangi. Top BJP leaders and ministers, including Piyush Goyal and Prahlad Joshi, rushed to meet the injured lawmakers.
RML Hospital Medical Superintendent Ajay Shukla said that both of the leaders suffered head injuries and have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Shukla also said that they are trying to stabilise both (Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput).
Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled the two injured MPs and inquired about their health.
#WATCH | Delhi | Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, “…He (Rahul Gandhi) pushed forcefully. Due to this, around 3-4 MPs fell and in it, BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were badly injured… Pratap Sarangi has been badly injured and Mukesh Rajput has been admitted… pic.twitter.com/EGf8JjqPL9— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi instead blamed Sarangi for pushing and threatening him while he was trying to enter the Parliament. “Dhakka mukki se kuch hota nahi hain (Nothing happens with pushing and shoving),” he added. Gandhi said the central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar.
The development comes as the ruling BJP MPs were protesting on the Parliament’s premises amid the ongoing winter session against the Congress party for “insulting” Babasaheb Ambedkar. The incident has affected proceedings in both Houses.
