- By Priyanka Koul
- Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Congress Party has described the First Information Report (FIR) against LoP Rahul Gandhi as nothing more than a “diversionary tactic” in response to his strong protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar.
The Delhi Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi on Thursday in connection with the ongoing protests at Parliament, during which two BJP MPs were injured.
The BJP had filed a complaint, accusing Rahul Gandhi of "physical assault and incitement" during the scuffle and seeking his indictment under sections including attempt to murder. The complaint was lodged at the Parliament Street Police Station by BJP MP Hemang Joshi, accompanied by BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj.
In a post on X, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal stated that the case against Rahul Gandhi for defending Babasaheb’s legacy is a “badge of honour.”
The FIR against Sh. @RahulGandhi ji is nothing but a diversionary tactic in response to his staunch protest against the Home Minister.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) December 19, 2024
A case against him for defending Babasaheb’s legacy is a badge of honour. And in any case, Rahul ji is already facing 26 FIRs due to the BJP’s…
“The FIR against Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji is nothing but a diversionary tactic in response to his staunch protest against the Home Minister,” Venugopal wrote.
Amit Shah, Apologise and Resign. pic.twitter.com/OWAgtHxRvG
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 19, 2024
“A case against him for defending Babasaheb’s legacy is a badge of honour. In any case, Rahul Ji is already facing 26 FIRs due to the BJP’s political vendetta, and this latest FIR will not deter him or the Congress from standing up against the casteist RSS-BJP regime.”
GS Venugopal also questioned why the Delhi Police had acted on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, but had not taken similar action on complaints filed by Congress women MPs.
“At the same time, why has the Delhi Police not acted on the FIRs filed by women MPs of the Congress against BJP leaders who physically assaulted them?” he asked.
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In the meantime, Gandhi has been booked under Sections 117 (voluntary causing grievous hurt), 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 131 (use of criminal force), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In response, Congress also filed a complaint at the same police station, alleging that BJP leaders misbehaved with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and demanded an FIR for "assault, grievous hurt, and battery" against them.
On Thursday, in heated exchanges between the BJP and Congress accusing each other of assault, two BJP MPs were injured, and a woman MP claimed to have been intimidated by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
However, the Congress party denied the allegations, stating that BJP legislators blocked Rahul Gandhi's way and pushed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, injuring his knee.
The controversy unfolded near the steps of Parliament’s Makar Dwar, an entrance and exit reserved for lawmakers, where members of the NDA and INDIA Bloc were holding simultaneous protests over Amit Shah's statement on BR Ambedkar.
Opposition parties demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks against BR Ambedkar. The controversy began when Home Minister Amit Shah, during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, remarked, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to repeatedly say Ambedkar’s name. If they had taken God’s name as often, they would have secured a place in heaven for seven lifetimes).”