Lok Sabha Speaker Bans Protests At Parliament Gates After Row Over MPs' Injury: Report

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other India bloc MPs stage a protest demanding an apology and the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar. (Photo: ANI)

Chaos At Parliament: In a big move following a chaos at Parliament premises where political protests turned ugly, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday banned demonstrations by MPs and political parties at any of the gates of Parliament, sources told news agency PTI.

"Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued strict instructions that no political party, Member of Parliament or groups of members will hold any dharna and demonstration at building gates of Parliament House," PTI quoted parliament sources as saying.

The instructions came on a day when Parliament premises saw rival protests by the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc parties on the alleged insults to B R Ambedkar which soon turned into jostling and scuffles leaving two MPs injured and a woman MP claiming intimidation by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed outside Parliament House on Thursday after MPs from the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc staged separate protests over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar.

As the day passed, the protests took an ugly turn when members from both blocs confronted each other, leading to jostling.

Following the confrontation of parliamentarians from both sides, a scuffle broke out in which BJP MP Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput sustained injuries and were hospitalized. 

Sarangi sustained a forehead injury during the clash. The saffron party alleged that Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on Sarangi. The claim was strongly denied by the grand old party. 

Hours after the scuffle, Delhi Police on Thursday filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhi over allegations pertaining to "physical assault and incitement" during a scuffle in the Parliament.

Acting upon the complaint lodged by the NDA MPs, including BJP’s Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj, the case against the former Congress chief was registered under various sections, including 109 (attempt to murder), 115 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 117, 125, 131, and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police had removed section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS, which was earlier included in the FIR. All other sections are the same as given in the complaint.

(With agencies inputs)