Unfazed Congress resumes ratifying Biden's victory

Washington : Not giving in to the mob pressure, US congress resumed its constitutional task of affirming Joe Biden electoral win.

Meanwhile, Trump has been roundly condemned for stirring up passions alleging poll rigging, eventually causing chaos.

The violent scenes Wednesday left one woman dead in the gunfire inside Capitol, as members of the Congress sought safety.

It was yet to be ascertained who the victim of gunfire was or who shot her.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party's leader in the Senate, said: "We have never been deterred before, we'll be not deterred today. They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed."

Democratic Party's Senate leader Chuck Schumer said: "This temple to democracy was desecrated."

Speaking to CBS TV, Indian-American Representative Pramila Jayapal called for impeaching Trump, even though he would be in power for two more weeks.

The mobs entered the Capitol, crashing into the Senate chamber; they were repulsed by National Guard ordered in by Vice President Mike Pence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) SWAT teams.

The chambers of the Democrat-led House of Representatives and the Republican-majority Senate were swiftly cleaned and swept for bombs and ammunition for the legislators to return.

Trump has refused to accept the poll outcome, claiming he was defeated through widespread fraud.

He sticks to it even after courts have thrown out more than 50 legal challenges at different levels.

He called a rally of supporters before Congress was to hold its joint session to tally the results.

Alongside he declared that he would "never concede" his defeat to Biden and unleashed a wave of anger saying: "This year, they rigged an election. They rigged it like they've never rigged an election before."

And then he exhorted them: "After this, we're going to walk down there (to the Capitol)... and we are going to cheer on our brave senators and Congressmen and women (who object to Biden's election)."

Thousands of his supporters shouting "Trump" and "USA, USA", marched from there to the Capitol launching their assault after the joint session adjourned following objections against Arizona's electoral college votes and the Senate and the House began to meet separately to consider the issue.

Several rioters also scaled the walls and smashed windows to enter the building.

They overwhelmed the police and pushed the barriers around the Capitol and rushed in.

The rioters reached all the way into the Senate chamber, from where Vice President was hustled away by security.

A rioter was seen on tweets sitting in the chair of the Senate President; on TV people with Trump flags and placards were shown wandering around the chamber.

Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi were taken out by security to a secure place.

Jayapal was trapped in the House gallery and she recounted on CBS TV how she and a few colleagues could not leave the area as they heard shouts and gunshots outside.

On the House floor, she said that she saw Pelosi being taken out and the security barricading the doors from outside.

Biden has demanded Trump go on national television to ask his supporters to end the siege and withdraw from the Capitol. "President Trump, step up," he said.

Shortly afterward, Trump put out a video tweet asking his supporters to go home and saying that they would play in to the hands of his opponents.

He tweeted: "I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order a" respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue (law enforcement uniforms). Thank you."

Biden and others, including members of Trump's own party, blamed Trump for the violence that threatened the democratic process.

IANS report with edits