Mallikarjun Kharge says BJP MPs 'pushed' him in Parliament premises

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, claiming he was physically pushed by BJP MPs in Parliament premises following which he lost his balance.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha asked the LS Speaker to order an inquiry into the BJP MPs "pushing" him, says it was an assault not just on him but on the Rajya Sabha LoP and the Congress president.

"I was physically pushed by BJP MPs; lost my balance and was forced to sit down on ground in front of Makar Dwar," Kharge said.

His remarks came after a face-off between the opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament premises over the alleged insult to B R Ambedkar left former minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi injured.

The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing the senior member, a charge rejected by the Congress leader.

Trouble began when the INDIA bloc members insisted on entering Parliament through the BJP MPs holding a protest instead of using the space left empty on one side of the staircase of the Makar Dwar, used by members to enter and exit the building.

Some senior Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha also wrote to Speaker Birla alleging that Rahul Gandhi was physically manhandled and urged him to take appropriate action.

We are writing to express our deep anguish regarding an incident that occurred on the premises of Parliament today. Members of the INDIA alliance were peacefully protesting and marching from the Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar statue to Makar Dwar.

"However, as we attempted to enter the Parliament through Makar Dwar, the protesting MPs were physically obstructed from entering, the letter signed by Congress MPs K C Venugopal, Kudukunil Suresh, Ravindra Chavan Dean Kuriakose and V K Sreekandan said.

We would also like to bring to your notice that Shri Rahul Gandhi Leader of Opposition was physically manhandled by three MPs from the ruling party. This is a clear violation of the privileges extended to the Leader of Opposition and infringes on the rights accorded to him in his official capacity as an MP, they said.

Their conduct was not only a blatant assault on the personal dignity of Rahul Gandhi, but antithetical to the democratic spirit of our parliament, the letter said.

We hope that you will treat this matter with utmost seriousness and take appropriate action, the MPs said in their letter to Birla.