New Delhi: After the scuffle in the Parliament complex, the Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from the issue of Union home minister Amit Shah's "insult" of B.R. Ambedkar and said Mr Shah must resign and apologise for his remarks. While Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that the CCTV footage of the fracas be released, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the former Congress president's behaviour smacks of arrogance.
Addressing a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters in the national capital, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Mr Gandhi condemned Mr Shah's remarks on B.R. Ambedkar and said that the party will continue to protest across the country.
"The BJP wants to divert attention from Mr Shah's remarks on B.R. Ambedkar and that is why they are raising other issues," Mr Kharge told the media.
The Congress president said that the party leaders were only demanding the resignation of Mr Shah and were protesting "in support of our demands, but the BJP MPs blocked us from entering Parliament".
"They pushed me, I lost my balance and sat down," the Congress chief said, adding that he condemns Mr Shah's remarks on B.R. Ambedkar and the party will run a nationwide movement on the issue.
Mr Gandhi said the BJP-RSS thinking is "anti-Constitution" and "anti-Ambedkar".
"The BJP is indulging in distraction. We want the apology and resignation of the Union home minister over his remarks on B.R. Ambedkar," Mr Gandhi said, adding that they will continue to raise their demand and the Adani issue.
Demanding a probe into the scuffle in the Parliament complex, the Lok Sabha LoP said, “We want the CCTV footage to be released so that the truth comes out.”
Slamming the Congress, Mr Chouhan said, "Mr Kharge and Mr Gandhi held a press conference today, but instead of apologising for their actions, they chose not to. The purpose of their press conference remains unclear, but it highlighted his arrogance."
The Union minister alleged that Mr Gandhi's behaviour was "beyond what a civilised society can comprehend."
On the letter written by Rajya Sabha MP S. Phangnon Konyak to the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar regarding the alleged misbehaviour by Mr Gandhi, Mr Chouhan said, "She lodged a complaint with the Chairman, alleging inappropriate, indecent and disrespectful behaviour towards her. The Chairman stated that she approached him in tears. Is this how a tribal woman MP should be treated? Should someone behave in such a way that makes her feel uncomfortable?...Can anyone imagine such behavior towards a tribal woman MP? What has happened to Mr Gandhi? What has happened to the Congress?"
