Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Thursday following uproar over the Ambedkar issue.
In the Rajya Sabha, the session was suspended after Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Kiren Rijiju accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of using force against women BJP MPs at the Parliament entry steps. As soon as the House reconvened at 2 PM following an earlier adjournment, BJP members raised the issue, demanding an apology from Gandhi.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar attempted to restore order, saying he was looking into the BJP’s complaint. However, DMK member Tiruchi Siva noted that the complaint only reflected one side, while Gandhi had claimed that BJP MPs had pushed him.
Amid shouting from both the treasury and opposition benches, the proceedings were adjourned for the day until Friday.
Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, opposition protests over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar led to the adjournment of proceedings. The House was first suspended shortly after it convened at 11 AM as opposition members demanded an apology from Shah. As Opposition members continued to protest, the House was adjourned for the day.
The government had planned to introduce a resolution to refer two bills on simultaneous elections to a joint committee, but the House met for less than five minutes during the day.
Earlier, a confrontation between opposition and NDA MPs outside Parliament over Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar resulted in injuries to former minister Pratap Sarangi and another BJP MP. The BJP accused Gandhi of pushing the senior member, a claim he denied.
The political row escalated on Wednesday as the opposition, led by Congress, demanded Shah’s sacking over his comments on Ambedkar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders defended Shah, accusing the Congress of distorting his remarks in a malicious campaign. Modi further criticised the opposition party for its alleged “anti-Ambedkar” stance and history of insulting the constitutional architect.