Pratap Sarangi accuses Rahul Gandhi of behaving ‘like a bouncer and not as LoP'

New Delhi: BJP MP from Odisha's Balasore, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of "behaving more like a bouncer than a Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha," a post historically held by distinguished leaders such as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

BJP MP Sarangi, who sustained injuries during a scuffle in Parliament on December 19 and was hospitalised, shared his health update with reporters on Monday.

"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," he said.

Recalling the incident, BJP MP Sarangi said, "It happened when we (BJP MPs) were standing near an entry gate, peacefully protesting against the insult of B.R. 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," alleged Sarangi.

Pratap Sarangi claimed there was enough space near the gate for Rahul Gandhi to pass without causing disruption.

"Rahul Gandhi 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," said Sarangi.

When asked if Rahul Gandhi had expressed concern after the incident, 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."

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned following protests by the Opposition demanding an apology from Amit Shah over his remarks on B.R. Ambedkar.

Dressed in blue, a colour symbolising BR Ambedkar, INDIA bloc MPs, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, demonstrated on the Parliament premises, calling for Amit Shah's resignation over his comments regarding the Constitution's chief architect.

With inputs from IANS