The Delhi Police on Friday transferred the case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the scuffle on the Parliament premises, which injured two BJP MPs on Thursday, to the Crime Branch.
An FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi at Parliament Street Police after BJP leaders lodged a police complaint against the Congress leader, accusing him of “physical assault and incitement” after MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput sustained injuries. The BJP has accused Gandhi of pushing them in a bid to enter the House. Both the MPs were admitted to Delhi’s RML Hospital where they are being treated and monitored in the ICU.
The FIR has been registered 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.
“We have transferred the case from local police to the Crime Branch,” PTI quoted a senior officer as saying. The officer also stated that police are likely to record the statements of Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput soon and that Rahul Gandhi might also be called for questioning.
Meanwhile, police have sought legal advice on filing a separate FIR based on a complaint filed by the Congress against the BJP, accusing its MPs of “misbehaving” with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on the Parliament premises.
“We are taking legal opinion if the Congress leaders’ complaint can be converted into the FIR,” another police officer said.
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the BJP MPs had threatened and pushed him while blocking his entry into the Parliament. The BJP has in turn claimed that Gandhi climbed the Makar Dwar and pushed Sarangi, which in turn pushed the leaders standing next to him.
The police will seek access to CCTV footage of the spot where the incident occurred on the Parliament premises and also reach out to media houses for any video evidence they may have. Police will also recreate the scene of crime during the investigation if required, PTI reported.
The police complaint against Rahul Gandhi was filed on Thursday by BJP MP Hemang Joshi, who was accompanied by party colleagues Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj.
The Congress has strongly rejected BJP’s claim, alleging that it was the BJP MPs who pushed Kharge and “physically manhandled” Gandhi.
The complaint against BJP was filed by a delegation of Congress MPs, including Digvijaya Singh, Rajiv Shukla, Mukul Wasnik, and Pramod Tiwari.
As the political protests triggered chaos and turned things ugly, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday announced a ban on demonstrations by MPs and political parties at any of the gates of Parliament.
“Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued strict instructions that no political party, Member of Parliament or groups of members will hold any dharna and demonstration at building gates of Parliament House,” parliament sources said.
