Jagdeep Dhankhar Moans Chaotic Parliament Session

New Delhi: Parliament’s winter session – its final week roiled by mud-slinging and protests by MPs over Amit Shah’s “Ambedkar is the fashion” remark and disruptions and fractious debates over the ‘one nation, one election‘ push – concluded Friday afternoon, with a stern message from Rajya Sabha Chair.

“The world watches our democracy. Yet we fail our citizens through our conduct. These Parliamentary disruptions mock public trust and expectations. Our fundamental duty to serve with diligence lies neglected,” Jagdeep Dhankhar said.

“Where reasoned dialogue should prevail, we witness only chaos. I urge every Parliamentarian, regardless of party, to examine their conscience,” Mr Dhankhar, against whom the opposition also filed a no-confidence motion, that was slapped down on procedural grounds, lamented on X after adjourning the Upper House.

“We squander precious opportunities that could serve the greater good of our people. I hope MPs will introspect deeply and citizens exercise accountability.”

The world watches our democracy, yet we fail our citizens through our conduct. These Parliamentary disruptions mock public trust and expectations. Our fundamental duty to serve with diligence lies neglected.

Where reasoned dialogue should prevail, we witness only chaos. I urge… pic.twitter.com/yCfOsiatL9

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) December 20, 2024

An uneasy calm lay over Parliament this morning as MPs from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and (a suddenly united) opposition held protests and counterprotests, and traded allegations.

As the day dawned, opposition MPs rallied behind the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and demanded Mr Shah resign and slammed the BJP for yesterday’s physical confrontation, while the ruling party massed outside Parliament targeting Mr Gandhi – against whom they have filed a dramatic ‘attempt to murder’ police complaint and accused of making a woman lawmaker feel “uncomfortable”.

READ | Police Case Against Rahul Gandhi For “Injuring” 2 BJP MPs

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav were among those who led the opposition’s charge. Ms Gandhi Vadra, who yesterday ripped into the BJP over the charges against her brother, today said the ruling party is “scared” because Mr Shah’s remarks had “exposed their true sentiments” about the iconic Dalit leader. She also criticised the BJP for lodging false police complaints against Mr Gandhi; ” Rahulji can never push anyone. I am his sister… I know him. Frankly, the country knows this too…”

#WATCH | Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, “This Government is scared. This Government is scared to have a discussion on Adani matter. It is scared of having any discussion. They know that their true sentiments for Ambedkar ji have come out. So, they are now scared of the… pic.twitter.com/SU9LR6xUss

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2024

Mr Yadav, meanwhile, demanded the BJP and Mr Shah apologise for the comment. “The insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the attitude of the BJP towards him… if we have to take the country forward, Babsaheb’s Constitution shows the way (but) the BJP is attempting to weaken it.”

READ | “If PM Respects Ambedkar…”: Congress’ Kharge Targets Amit Shah

In response, the BJP camp – which has lashed out at the Congress and Mr Gandhi over his alleged “assault” of two of its MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput – doubled down on its attacks.

Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey declared, “For the first time I saw the ugly face of this party”, and claimed he had seen Mr Gandhi “climbing up the Makar Dawar (the Parliament’s main door, outside which MPs pushed and shoved each other yesterday) … after climbing up, he pushed Pratap Sarangi ji… Mukesh Rajput ji got pushed… they (the Congress MPs) had no remorse… condemnable.”

#WATCH | Delhi | BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says, “…I saw Rahul Gandhi climbing up the Makar Dwar, so I and another leader saw this and we decided to give him space. After climbing up, he pushed Pratap Sarangi ji, Santosh Pandey ji who is next to us. Mukesh Rajput ji got pushed and… pic.twitter.com/Xy8TLovrDj

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2024

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju batted away the Congress’ demands for Mr Shah to quit and said, “It is the Congress that should apologise… it is not left with anything to say so they have resorted to manhandling. Our MPs say there should be police action against Rahul Gandhi.”

On Thursday there was utter bedlam outside Parliament after MPs from the ruling party and the opposition clashed, pushing and jostling each other while screaming and shouting slogans.

READ | Parliament Protests Turn Into BJP, Congress’ Injury vs Injury Claims

The injury to the BJP’s Mr Sarangi – visuals showed him with a bandage on his head and being taken in an ambulance – and the hospitalization of Mr Rajput fuelled the party’s counterattack. A trio of BJP MPs, including ex-Union Minister Anurag Thakur, then filed a complaint at a nearby police station.

Not to be outdone, the Congress then claimed an injury to party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and filed a complaint of its own. Delhi Police has turned both complaints over to its Crime Branch. The party also called the ‘attempt to murder’ complaint a “badge of honour for defending Babasaheb’s legacy“.

READ | “Injuries On My Knees”: M Kharge After Parliament Showdown

Amit Shah’s Ambedkar Remark

All of this followed Mr Shah’s remark about Dr Ambedkar – regarded as the architect of the Constitution – which were delivered at the tail end of a four-day debate on the august text.

“It has become the fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’ If they (the opposition) took God’s name so many times, they will get a place in heaven,” Mr Shah quipped.

The opposition’s reaction was instantaneous and furious, and the ferocity of it appeared to unsettle Mr Shah and the BJP. A normally combative Home Minister – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s No 2 and one of the most powerful figures in the ruling party – issued a statement on the row.

And Mr Modi himself led high-ranking cabinet members in defending Mr Shah.

READ | “Congress Anti-Ambedkar, Twisted My Words”: Amit Shah Responds

“They (the Congress) have distorted the comment I made in the Rajya Sabha,” Mr Shah said, while Mr Modi thundered on X, “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of years, especially insults to Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!”

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