Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday termed the BJP's allegations that her brother and party leader Rahul Gandhi pushed a BJP MP a "conspiracy to save Home Minister Amit Shah's skin". She also accused the ruling party MPs of indulging in "goondagardi" to stop peacefully protesting opposition members from entering Parliament.
A face-off between the opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament premises over the alleged insult to B R Ambedkar left BJP MPS Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput injured. The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing 69-year-old Sarangi, a charge rejected by the Congress leader.
Priyanka Gandhi said Rahul Gandhi, carrying B R Ambedkar's photograph and raising slogan of Jai Bhim, was peacefully going inside Parliament but was stopped from doing so.
"We have been protesting for so many days and there is always space for people to enter freely. Peaceful protests are taking place daily from 10.30 am to 11 am. Today, for the first time, they (BJP MPs) protested and stopped everyone and then indulged in pushing and 'goodagardi' (hooliganism)'," she told reporters in Parliament premises.
"And now to save Amit Shah's skin they have started this conspiracy that 'bhaiya' has pushed someone. Right before my eyes, Kharge ji was pushed and he fell on the ground. Then they pushed a CPI(M) MP who fell on Kharge ji. I thought it would have broken his leg as it was visible from his face that he was hurt," the Congress general secretary said.
She said a chair was brought for Kharge, 82, from somewhere and pointed out that peaceful protests had been going on from their side.
"This is a conspiracy. We challenged those who were stopping us to say 'Jai Bhim'. Why can't they raise the slogan of 'Jai Bhim'?" Priyanka Gandhi asked.
She also dismissed the BJP's claim that a passage was given to INDIA bloc MPs to enter Parliament and claimed that they were blocked from entering Parliament.
"We did not say anything, we kept raising our slogans and kept fighting for our Constitution. If people have any confusion that the BJP will protect the Constitution then that confusion should be over," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi claimed that the BJP's real feelings have come out in the open in Amit Shah's remarks.
"Their (BJP's) real feelings was in display here. They have violent intentions, they cannot say Jai Bhim. I challenge BJP MPs to stand here and say Jai Bhim," she said.
Earlier, in a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "BJP is repeatedly insulting Babasaheb, who gave the Constitution to the country, who gave rights to every citizen, who changed the lives of crores of Dalits and deprived people with his thoughts and actions."
"By insulting him, the BJP has insulted the sentiments of crores of Dalits and deprived people of the country. The BJP should apologize to the country," she said.
The opposition on Wednesday seized on Shah's remarks on Ambedkar to corner the government and demanded his resignation for what they called was an insult to the architect of the Constitution.
The attack from virtually all opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, Left parties and Shiv Sena-UBT, led to the adjournment of both Houses of Parliament and prompted the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to come out in stout defence of Shah.
