Trouble Mounts For Rahul Gandhi: Case Against Congress MP After BJP Accuses 'Physical Assault And Incitement'

File Photo of Congress Leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)

BJP MPs Injured Case: Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lodged a complaint, Delhi Police on Thursday filed an FIR against Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over allegations pertaining to "physical assault and incitement" during a scuffle in the Parliament.

The case against the former Congress chief was registered ubder 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.

#UPDATE | BJP MPs injured case: Delhi Police has filed an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on BJP's complaint. Police have only removed section 109 (attempt to murder) of BNS. All other sections are the same as given in the complaint: Delhi Police

BJP had filed a… https://t.co/OL8ofV9X1Z — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024

The officer said police are likely to call Gandhi for questioning in connection with the case. Police will request the Lok Sabha Secretariat to provide the CCTV footage of the area where the alleged incident happened.

Another officer said all sections imposed against Gandhi are bailable, except section 117, punishment for which depends on the severity of the injury caused, ranging from seven years to life imprisonment.

A face-off at the Parliament entry steps between the opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament premises over the alleged insult to B R Ambedkar left former minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput injured.

Following the incident, the saffron party filed the police complaint against the Congress LoP, accusing him of "physical assault and incitement" and sought his indictment under sections of attempt to murder and other charges.

Earlier in the day, BJP MP Hemang Joshi, accompanied by party colleagues Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj, visited the Parliament Street Police Station and filed the complaint.

The grand old party strongly rejected the claim, alleging that BJP MPs pushed its chief Mallikarjun Kharge and "physically manhandled" Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Congress also lodged a complaint in connection the matter.

In his two-page complaint, BJP MP from Vadodara Hemang Joshi said, "At around 10, I along with Mukesh Rajput ji, Pratap Rao Sarangi ji and other large numbers of my fellow Members of Parliament belonging to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), were peacefully demonstrating at the Makar Dwar entrance of Parliament." He said they were protesting against the "blatant misinformation being propagated by opposition parties, particularly led by the Indian National Congress."

"During this peaceful demonstration, Rahul Gandhi, arrived at the scene around 10.40 am to 10.45 am. Despite request from Parliament security to take the designated entry path, Rahul Gandhi with a malicious intent to disrupt the protest and physically harm NDA Members of Parliament ignored the instructions and forcefully barged toward the peaceful demonstrators," Joshi said in the complaint.

Not only did Rahul Gandhi and others violated the instructions of the security, he also instigated other "INDI Alliance Members" to proceed with force and aggression toward the NDA MPs, putting them in jeopardy, he alleged . "They intentionally used physical force to push Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Rao Sarangi and others who were standing on the narrow stairs at the entrance," Joshi said.

He said that as consequence Mukesh Rajput sustained a "severe injury" to the back of his head and Sarangi to his forehead. "My colleague, Dr. Byreddy Sabari, MP, who is also a qualified doctor, immediately provided first aid to the injured individuals. I personally witnessed the incident as I was standing next to my injured colleagues and attempted to reason with Shri Rahul Gandhi and his accomplices," Joshi added in the complaint.

Thakur also accused Gandhi of behaving with a female BJP MP from Nagaland. The Congress accused the BJP MPs of pushing its chief Mallikarjun Kharge and "physically manhandled" Gandhi. A delegation of Congress MPs, including Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, Rajiv Shukla and Pramod Tiwari, filed the complaint visiting the station in person, an officer said.

(With agencies inputs)