International Desk

Two lawmakers from India’s ruling BJP were admitted to intensive care units of a hospital after a major scuffle erupted between the ruling bloc and opposition at the Indian parliament on Thursday.

The parliamentary session was adjourned for the day.

Both sides traded blame for the incident over protests against BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged disrespect for BR Ambedkar, the father of India’s constitution.

The scuffle is the unintended outcome of political stunts the two opposing blocs have engaged in over Shah’s alleged remarks delivered Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Amit Shah said at the parliament that it has become a fashion for opposition politicians to repeat Ambedkar’s name whenever they can, and only, if they had taken Indian god’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven, reports The Hindustan Times.

The remark targeting the advocate for Hindu downtrodden caste encouraged the Congress-led opposition to belittle BJP-led Hindu nationalist bloc, known for upholding the Hindu upper caste. Later, BJP also hit back saying Congress itself is anti-Ambedkar as the party repeatedly denied the famed dalit leader his due honour over the course of history, reports NDTV.

On Thursday, upping their attack on Amit Shah and the BJP-led central government, lawmakers of the Congress-led “INDIA” bloc climbed the Makar Dwar facility of parliament compex with placards demanding an apology and resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

BJP leaders had taken positions earlier to push back INDIA bloc’s protests.

Trouble began when the INDIA bloc members insisted on entering the parliament.

Rahul Gandhi alleged BJP MPs tried to stop him at the parliament entrance, pushed him and threatened him, reports Indian Express.

The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that Rahul, while entering parliament, injured two of their MPs – Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput – by “violently” pushing them aside. Sarangi, who is currently hospitalised, claimed that Rahuld pushed another MP onto him while he was standing near the stairs.

Although, two BJP lawmakers have been admitted to ICU, none appeared to have serious injury in photographs taken afterwards. The “most seriously wounded of the two” only had a short handkerchief placed over his bald head, all the while he was wide awake and soundly responsive.

Later, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that he sustained injury on his knees after he was pushed by BJP MPs. He has sought an inquiry into the incident, according to Indian Express.

“When I reached Makar Dwar along with the IDNIA parties MPS, I was physically pushed by BJP MPs. I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar, this inflicted injury on my knees which have already undergone surgery,” Kharge added.