Parliament session LIVE: Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha adjourned sine die

Parliament session LIVE: Odisha BJP’s state president, Manmohan Samal condemned Rahul Gandhi’s alleged behaviour during a scuffle at the parliament and stated, “The behaviour of an irresponsible leader of an irresponsible party is being condemned by the entire nation. His (Rahul Gandhi) speech did not hold any substance or facts. There was no idea or advice to the government, and no issue criticising the government. Congress has nothing and is now over.”

Parliament session LIVE: Former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel released a statement asking for the CCTV footage of the scuffle in parliament to be released to prove that the BJP has made false accusations against Rahul Gandhi.

“BJP has done this entire conspiracy to divert attention.There are CCTV cameras installed at every corner of the Parliament premises, so why doesn’t the government release the CCTV footage?BJP is just misleading the people by making false allegations against the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi,” he said.

Parliament session LIVE: BJP MP Kiran Choudhry spoke to the press about the row concerning comments made about Dr BR Ambedkar and stated that the Congress had been responsible for disrespecting Ambedkar as well as the Constitution.

“You (Congress) have brought Ambedkar to his (Rahul Gandhi) level. When he (Ambedkar) resigned from the cabinet, Nehru said that it won’t make any difference…The truth has been revealed in the public domain and all this is being said to bake political bread,” she said.

“If someone has distorted the Constitution, it was the Congress,” she added.

Parliament session LIVE: Robert Vadra told news agency PTI that he was disappointed in the functioning of the house and also condemned the comments made by union home minister Amit Shah on BR Ambedkar.

“The Parliament is there to discuss all the issues of people (that they are) facing in the country, what they are expecting from the ministers and now the Union Home Minister spoke in a very derogatory way about Ambedkar ji and he mentioned his name so many times and said ‘if you used his name many a times; if you took God’s names many a times, you would see heaven’. ”

Parliament session LIVE: In a statement to the press on Friday, the Congress MP questioned the “arrogance” of the BJP and asked union home minister Amit Shah to take moral responsibility for his comments on Babasaheb Ambedkar in parliament.

He also stated, “The words that Amit Shah chose in Parliament and the tone in which they were uttered were not correct. No matter how hard they try, they cannot hide those 12 seconds of insulting Baba Saheb in the House.”

Parliament session LIVE: Congress MP Hibi Eden addressed the allegations of misbehaviour levelled against Rahul Gandhi by Nagaland MP Konyak and said, “I was present when Rahul Gandhi was entering Parliament, there was no contact with female MP, she was trying to block him but I tried to move him away and take him inside.”

Parliament session LIVE: JMM MP Mahua Maji expressed disappointment in the inefficient functioning of the parliament and said, “We came to this session with a lot of hope that we will raise the issues of the people. It is very disappointing when the house does not function… such important time is wasted, the country’s money is wasted. The ruling party itself does not want the house to function.”

Parliament session LIVE: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told news agency PTI that the opposition had wanted to discuss the “Adani scam” and the home minister’s comments on Ambedkar but the attention was purposely diverted from the issue.

“Everything… the single purpose is to divert attention from Home Minister’s abuses against Dr Ambedkar and also to divert attention from our demand for a JPC into the ‘Modani’ scam.”

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that due to the obstacles created by the Opposition parties, the Parliament’s productivity percentage is very low.

“Due to this, the Parliament’s productivity percentage is very low. I urge leaders of all political parties to ponder on why there has been a reduction in Parliament’s productivity. We should think of raising productivity above 100% and not reducing it,” he said during a press conference.

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has alleged that Thursday’s scuffle at the Parliament and the subsequent FIR against Rahul Gandhi was all part of a ‘large conspiracy’.

“I have never seen members of Parliament blocking other MPs. Rahul Gandhi has a commitment to truth, peace, love, and non-violence….Kharge saheb also fell down there yesterday, even he could have got hurt. You (BJP) have registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi. It is a matter of worry -will democracy remain in this country? Under their (BJP) dispensation, the country is going forward on the same path as Hitler’s…Who is guiding PM Modi and Amit Shah ji?” he told ANI.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Friday asked whether Rahul Gandhi was comparing himself with BR Ambedkar.

“This is another insult to Baba Saheb by the Congress. This is the same Rahul Gandhi who could tear the ordinance but could not build a memorial for Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar… What rocket science has come that did not exist before?… Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed of comparing himself with Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. You pushed an MP, your team pushed a tribal daughter, and an FIR should have been filed against you… I am an eyewitness to this incident,” he told ANI.

Sena UBT leader Aditya Thackeray also said that the FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is a “diversionary tactic”, adding that he does not think the Lok Sabha LoP or any of the opposition leaders are “scared”.

“We demand that the Union Home Minister should resign because he has insulted Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar,” Thackeray told reporters.

“Bekaar (pointless) ka FIR,” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on the case registered against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

“It is a conspiracy to divert the issue of the statement made by Amit Shah on Babasaheb Ambedkar. The public is not blind. We all know the BJP’s mentality towards Babasaheb Ambedkar. The public will not tolerate the insult of Babasaheb Ambedkar. In those 17 secs, he said what was in his heart,” he told ANI.

Congress MP Manish Tewari said that the BJP’s case against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is a “blatant misuse of provisions of criminal law”.

“The fundamental thing is that those who advertently or inadvertently insulted the founder of the Indian Constitution, Dr Babaseh Bhimrao Ambedkar, must resign,” he told ANI.

BJP leader Jagdambika Pal on Friday slammed the Congress MPs behaviour in the Parliament the previous day and said that Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed.

“The way yesterday Congress MPs committed hooliganism and violence at the parliament gate, the way the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi pushed our (BJP’s) two MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Muskesh Rajput, is there a place for violence in democracy? Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed. His party (Congress) insulted Babadaheb since last 60 years. He was obligated to resign from the Nehru cabinet because Nehru was ignoring the Dalits. The party opposed him in the elections and never gave him Bharat Ratna. Today democracy has been attacked and the Adivasi daughter was insulted. Apology should be sought and if he has morality, he should resign,” he told ANI.

For the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on ‘One Nation One Election’ bill, 12 Rajya Sabha members have been nominated.

These members are Ghanshyam Tiwari, P Wilson, Saket Gokhale, Sanjay Jha, Sanjay Singh, K Laxman, Kavita Patidar, Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Surjewala, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, Vijaysai Reddy and Bhuwaneshwar Kalita.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday slammed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s “arrogance” and said that his attitude was seen on Thursday.

“The arrogance of Rahul Gandhi that was seen yesterday and his attitude towards his fellow MPs is very unfortunate. The way he created a ruckus by violating all the rules and instead of going on the designated path, he deliberately took his supporters along and created a ruckus… this is not forgivable. Can a leader of the opposition go with this thinking?” Thakur asked.

He further told ANI, “When he (Rahul Gandhi) was taken to the injured, forgot about asking about his well-being, forget about apologizing, arrogance was visible on his face… His (Rahul Gandhi) statement was that pushing and shoving keeps happening. This makes it clear that his thinking is that you can do anything to anyone, nothing is going to happen to us.”

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he and most of the members are disappointed.

He told ANI that the 2024 Parliament winter session did not fulfill its duty to the nation.

“I think that there are a lot of major issues to be discussed in our country, including unemployment, price rise, Manipur, Sambhal violence broke out just as Parliament was starting. Sadly, most of this time has been wasted in disruption. For many of us, the only constructive work was done in the Parliamentary committees. But the main Parliament did not fulfill its duty to the nation. I think we have let the people of India down. Very unfortunate,” he said.

“To my mind, Parliament is a forum for debate, discussion, disagreements certainly but not for disruption. There was an agreement reached between the Government and Opposition in the first week that the Opposition can protest outside but inside work would continue. It went on for 2-3 days. But thereafter, we ended up once again with a complete breakdown…I think that was very unfortunate. I really hope that the Govt reaches out to the Opposition and finds a solution,” Tharoor told ANI.

Rajya Sabha proceedings have also been adjourned sine die as the Parliament winter session came to an today.

Rajya Sabha proceedings have presumed with chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar residing over the session.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that Congress should apologise for their protest against Home minister Amit Shah over his Rajya Sabha speech.

“BJP has already clearly stated their history. But Congress is not left with anything to say so they have resorted to manhandling. Rahul Gandhi himself is a leader and jostling does not behove him. So, our MPs say that there should be Police action against Rahul Gandhi and he should apologise to the nation,” he added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claimed that he saw Congress leader Rahul Gandhi climbing up the Makar Dwar on Thursday, following which he and another leader decided to give him space.

“After climbing up, he pushed Pratap Sarangi ji, Santosh Pandey ji who is next to us. Mukesh Rajput ji got pushed and all those who were standing there were pushed. For the first time, I saw the ugly face of this party. The way our MPs were pushed, misbehaved with and after that, they had no remorse, was condemnable,” Dubey told ANI.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that NDA MPs are very agitated over Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi’s Thursday’s conduct.

…This is the last day of the Winter Session. Both Houses will be adjourned sine die today…NDA MPs are very agitated over the conduct of Rahul Gandhi yesterday. He insulted one of the MPs from Nagaland and then injured two other MPs. Speaker has said that no protest should be done at Parliament gate. So, our MPs protested at the Mahatma Gandhi statue,” he told reporters.

Leaving the Parliament premises on Friday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said that the central government is “scared”.

She told reporters, “This Government is scared to have a discussion on Adani matter. It is scared of having any discussion. They know that their true sentiments for Ambedkar ji have come out. So, they are now scared of the Opposition because we are raising this issue. National interest is related to this matter. Our Constitution has been given by Ambedkar ji, people of this country and our freedom struggle. Such insult to him will not be tolerated by India.”

BJP MP Arun Govil said that whatever is happening in the Parliament is not good for their image.

“This is tarnishing the image of Parliament. It seems we need a lot of discipline and the opposition needs a lot of restraint. The way Rahul Gandhi was not looking calm when he came yesterday… this does not befit MPs in Parliament,” he told ANI.