Amid heated protests in the Rajya Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Phangnon Konyak voiced her discomfort on Thursday regarding an encounter with Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Konyak claimed that Gandhi came too close to her and shouted during a demonstration by the INDIA bloc against remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about B.R. Ambedkar.
Speaking in Parliament, Konyak described the incident, stating, “I say this with a very heart, for which I have already sought your protection. Today, while protesting, it was a peaceful protest. I was standing just below the staircase of Makar Dwar. Something happened to me, and I feel really disheartened. LoP Rahul Gandhi came really close to me, and I really felt uncomfortable, and he shouted at me, which I feel is really unbecoming of the Leader of the Opposition.”
Konyak further emphasized that no female member of Parliament should have to endure such behavior and formally requested protection from Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, submitting a notice regarding the matter. “What I felt was that his action today was really bad, and I feel disheartened. Therefore, I seek your protection in this matter,” she added.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also weighed in on the incident, demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for allegedly injuring other MPs and making Konyak uncomfortable. “The way opposition MP Rahul Gandhi physically charged at a lady member and also injured two other members of the Lok Sabha, who had to be admitted to the hospital as they were bleeding, is really shameful,” Rijiju stated in Parliament.
He urged that the decorum of the House should be maintained and that such behavior should not be tolerated. “We have the numbers and we are not scared, but we do not want to disrespect and bring down the level of the House by pushing anyone around. I am asking with my hands folded that the whole Congress party should seek an apology from the Parliament and from the country too,” he said.
Rijiju reiterated that Parliament should not resemble a “wrestling ground,” emphasizing that despite having a majority, BJP members do not resort to physical confrontations. “The way Rahul Gandhi has injured other MPs has made our Parliament really angry. If we had raised hands on them, what would have happened? We have the numbers,” he concluded.
The incident highlights the escalating tensions between the ruling BJP and the opposition, particularly during a time of significant political protests and debates in the Indian Parliament.
