Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid ruckus over allegations of misconduct against Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted on Thursday due to protests by the treasury benches, which alleged misconduct by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi towards BJP MPs, and the opposition parties which demanded a discussion on Union Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B R Ambedkar.

Treasury bench members started sloganeering to demand action against the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, after BJP member S Phangnon Konyak alleged that he shouted at her when she was protesting on the Parliament premises.

As BJP leaders alleged that two other MPs were injured due to Gandhi’s actions and expressed outrage at his conduct, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said Konyak had met him in his chamber and he was looking into her complaint.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva contested the allegations against Gandhi and added that the Congress leader has said that he was pushed by ruling party members.

“Today while protesting, it was a peaceful protest. I was standing outside just below the staircase of Makar Dwar. Something happened to me for which I feel really disheartened. Leader of Opposition of Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi ji came in very close proximity to me. I really felt very uncomfortable and he started shouting at me which I felt is very unbecoming of a leader of the opposition,” Konyak said.

The BJP MP from Nagaland said that she could have defended herself but did not do so.

“His action was really bad and I feel disheartened and no lady member, let alone me, an ST(scheduled tribe) member from Nagaland, should not be made to feel like this. So I seek your protection for this letter for which I have already shared notice to you,” Konyak.

She was given a chance to speak after Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody laid a copy of the ruling on the no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar without reading out the ruling.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged Rahul Gandhi had “pushed” a female MP and “charged” at her “physically”. He said that Rahul Gandhi pushed two more members with such force that they were bleeding and had been hospitalised.

“This behaviour of the Congress party is shameful beyond our belief. We have numbers. We are not going to be afraid but we don’t want to plummet the standard of Parliament by manhandling to this low. I plead to you — all Congress members — that the entire Congress should apologise to this House and the nation,” Rijiju said.

He said Parliament is not a wrestling arena and a member of Parliament cannot raise hands on any other member.

“The way Rahul Gandhi has beaten our two MPs, our MPs are agitated. Had we also manhandled in the same manner then what would have been the situation?

“We have numbers. We are not cowards but if our people will also start manhandling like Rahul Gandhi then how will democracy work. Therefore the entire Congress party should not only apologise to the Parliament but to the entire nation,” Rijiju said.

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Jagat Prakash Nadda said that the discussion held on the Constitution in Parliament had exposed the Congress completely on how it twisted and misused it in the last 75 years and therefore the party members have “lost their mind”.

“Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, in an undemocratic way, pushed our members who were protesting in a peaceful manner in which our two members were injured and are admitted to Ram Manohar Hospital. Their treatment is going on. The way the leader of the opposition pushed our sister, Konyak, who is a member of the House, amounted to physical and mental harassment. It is a matter of privilege,” Nadda said.

Dhankar said that he has received communication from Konyak and she also met in his chamber.

“I am looking into it. She was literally in tears…. she could never believe that as a lady member she could suffer so much at the hands of another member of Parliament,” Dhankar.

DMK’s Tiruchi Siva contested the claims made by the treasury bench members.

“This is the version of one side. There was a demonstration going on outside and Mr Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the other house, is a very senior person and he has complained that he was only pushed. We respect all elder members. We respect every woman in this country. Nothing has happened of that sort,” he said.

Dhankar repeated that Konyak had complained to him and was in tears.

Both the treasury bench and opposition members continued sloganeering during the statements made by treasury bench members.

The House was adjourned for the day after Siva spoke.

The alleged incidents occurred during a face-off between the opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament premises.

Trouble began when the INDIA bloc members insisted on entering Parliament through the BJP MPs, who were 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.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 PM on Thursday as opposition members insisted on a discussion on Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar.

After tabling of listed papers, Dhankhar said he had received four adjournment notices, including three for discussion on the remarks made by Shah.

As the Chair did not approve the notices under Rule 267, several opposition members protested. The notices were given by AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Congress MP Randeep Surjewala and CPI(M) MP John Brittas.

One of the Congress MPs was heard saying that Ambedkar was never insulted “like this”. Opposition members were on their feet and raised slogans

“We cannot allow the country to be plunged in anarchy,” Dhankhar said before adjourning the proceedings till 2 PM.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings on Wednesday too were rocked by protests over the issue.

Congress and other opposition parties have launched an all-out attack on Home Minister Shah for his remarks on Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and demanded his sacking, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders rallied to Shah’s defence and said he has exposed Congress’ “anti-Ambedkar, anti-reservation” stand.