NEW DELHI:
Parliament
wrapped up the Winter Session on Friday marred by protests, brawls and police complaints in the last week. In what can be termed the most unproductive session in the last year, Parliament witnessed chaos and disorder, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress MPs locked horns over Union home minister Amit Shah‘s remark on Dr BR Ambedkar. What followed was a series of attacks and counter-attacks by the Centre and the opposition, physical altercations, MPs in hospital and a set of police complaints against each other.
Here’s a wrap-up of all that happened in Parliament this week:
1. Amit Shah‘s Rajya Sabha speech: It all started when Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (December 17) addressed the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. He said that both the BJP and the Congress had made the amendments to the Constitution during their reign. Shah highlighted the distinct approaches of the two parties towards constitutional amendments. He pointed out that the Congress made changes to basic constitutional elements to achieve political objectives, whereas the BJP’s modifications centred on strengthening citizen rights and improving administrative efficiency.
2. Amit Shah’s ‘fashion’ remark: Hours after Amit Shah’s speech, the Congress leaders shared a short clip from the statement, accusing the Union minister of insulting Dr. BR Ambedkar.
In the clip, Amit Shah said that taking BR Ambedkar’s name had become a “fashion” for the opposition. “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 say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. If they took God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven),” he said.
3. PM Modi backs Amit Shah: In a series of social media posts on X, PM Modi listed “sins” of Congress against Ambedkar and said that the party has indulged in “every dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Ambedkar and humiliate SC/ST communities”.
PM Modi also defended Shah and said that the grand-old-party is “stung and stunned” by the facts he presented in Rajya Sabha.
4. Kharge’s ‘sack Amit Shah’ dare for PM: As opposition continued its protest seeking Amit Shah’s apology in both the Houses, Congress held a press conference in the evening in which party chief Mallikarjun Kharge dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack home minister if he respected Ambedkar.
Lamenting that the PM chose to defend Shah with a flurry of posts on X, Kharge said, “What was the need for it? You should have sacked the person who disparaged Ambedkar. But Modi and Shah are thick friends and support the misdeeds of each other. He said the BJP again proved it believes in Manusmriti and not the Constitution. Kharge warned if Shah and BJP netas continued making such statements, “the country will be on fire”.
5. Amit Shah threatens legal action: In a rebuttal presser, Shah accused Congress of circulating a “doctored” version of his Rajya Sabha speech asserting that BJP was exploring all legal options in response to the falsehoods being spread. “Earlier they edited the PM’s statements and circulated those. During elections, my statement was edited using AI. Now they present my statement in a distorted manner,” Shah said.
6. Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises: In an extraordinary display of political hostility, the opposing MPs engaged in shouting and physical confrontations in Parliament’s forecourt on Thursday, marking an unprecedented level of disorder.
Two BJP MPs were hospitalisation for their injuries while the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi faced accusations of “goondaism”. A female MP from the BJP also claimed he “stood too close” and shouted at her.
The unprecedented confrontation began in the morning when BJP and opposition MPs advanced towards one another. The situation quickly deteriorated into chaos as the two groups converged, with rising tensions and escalating voices leading to physical altercations. Meanwhile, Congress chief Kharge also claimed that he was pushed by BJP MPs leading to a knee injury.
Watch: ‘Gundagardi karte ho?’ – What happened when Rahul Gandhi approached injured BJP MP Sarangi
7. FIR against Rahul Gandhi: As the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing BJP MPs and resorting to “goondaism”, the party also filed a police complaint. In response, the Congress MPs also filed a complaint at the same police station.
Hours later, police filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhu under sections 115 (voluntary causing hurt), 117 (voluntary causing grievous hurt), 125 (act of 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. Police are likely to record the statements of the two injured MPs and may also call the opposition leader for questioning.
The Delhi Police is also likely to write to the Parliament secretariat, seeking access to CCTV footage of the area where the incident occurred.
8. Priyanka, Omar rally behind Rahul: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi defended her brother while rejecting BJP’s allegations of violence as “false and baseless”. “This is the government’s desperation,” she said. “They are so desperate that they are lodging false FIRs. Rahul ji can never push anyone. I am his sister, I know him. He can never do such a thing. Frankly, the country knows this too. The country is watching how desperate they are that they are lodging baseless FIRs. These are all distractions.”
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also came to the defence of Rahul Gandhi. “I know Rahul Gandhi. He will not push anybody; he is not the kind of person to be nasty or rude to anyone…no one, leave alone Parliamentarian, he cannot even push someone walking on the road,” he said.
9. Om Birla bans protests at Parliament gates: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issued a prohibition on demonstrations by MPs and political parties at Parliament gates following unruly political protests.
“I request everyone, to maintain the decorum and dignity of the house is the responsibility of every member. Protesting in front of the gates is not right. You all have to ensure that it doesn’t happen,” Birla said amid sloganeering by MPs on the last day in the Lok Sabha.
In concluding remarks, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Our democratic legacy demands we rise above political differences and restore the sanctity of Parliamentary discourse”.
10. Protests continue on last day: On the last day of session, ruling NDA MPs held a protest in Parliament premises. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya attacked Congress and said that Babasaheb Ambedkar faced the greatest humiliation of his political life thrice because of Congress and former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s “conspiracy.”
Opposition MPs also staged a protest at Vijay Chowk demanding Shah’s apology and resignation. They also carried out a protest march from Vijay Chowk to Parliament. The MPs raised slogans such as ‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Amit Shah Maafi Mango’ and ‘Istifa do’.
