NEW DELHI: Congress president and Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, alleging physical assault by BJP MPs during a protest outside Parliament building.
The incident, Kharge claimed, left him injured and struggling to enter the building.
In his letter, octogenarian leader detailed the scuffle near the Makar Dwar entrance, saying, “When I reached Makar Dwar along with the INDIA bloc MPs, I was physically pushed by BJP MPs. Thereafter, I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar. This inflicted injury on my knees, which have already undergone surgery.”
LoP in Rajya Sabha added that Congress MPs rushed to assist him. “Subsequently, Congress MPs brought a chair, and I was made to sit on it. With great difficulty and with the support of my colleagues, I limped to the House at 11 AM,” he wrote.
Calling the incident an attack on his position and dignity, Kharge urged Speaker Om Birla to take action. “I urge you to order an inquiry into this incident, which is an assault not just on me personally but on the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha and the Congress president,” he stated.
The altercation took place as members of the INDIA bloc, including Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest demanding an apology from home minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar.
The protest turned chaotic when BJP MPs confronted the INDIA bloc outside Makar Dwar. Both sides engaged in loud sloganeering, attempting to drown out each other’s voices.
