Balasore BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Monday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he behaved like a “bouncer” rather than the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a position once held by esteemed personalities like Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Mr Sarangi, who was injured and had to be admitted to a hospital during a protest in Parliament on December 19, told reporters, “I am comparatively better now and was discharged from the hospital on December 28. I still need to be cautious as the stitch on my head has not fully healed.”
Recalling the incident, Mr Sarangi said, “It happened when we (BJP MPs) were standing near an entry gate, peacefully protesting against the insult of Dr. Ambedkar, holding placards.”
“Suddenly, Rahul Gandhi came along with some of his party colleagues and started pushing people to move ahead. He was behaving like a bouncer, not like the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a post once occupied by great personalities like Vajpayee ji,” Mr Sarangi said.
Claiming that there was enough space beside the gate for Mr Gandhi to pass through without causing disruption, Mr Sarangi said, “He pushed MP Mukesh Rajput, who was standing in front of him. Rajput ji fell on me, and my head likely hit the corner of a stone-like object, causing the injury.”
Asked if Rahul Gandhi had expressed concern after the incident, Mr Sarangi responded, “Yes, he came near me after someone informed him of what had happened. However, he quickly left without showing any genuine concern. I recovered due to the blessings of Lord Jagannath.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)