"Plan is to bury the matter...": Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Shifting Focus From Adani Case amidst Ambedkar Remark Row

Amid rising tensions in Parliament over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr. BR Ambedkar, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi addressed the media on Thursday to respond to the alleged scuffle that occurred within the Parliament premises. Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP, accusing its MPs of deliberately obstructing the Opposition's efforts to raise key issues.

"A few days ago, the issue of a case being filed against Adani in America came up, on which the BJP did not allow any discussion in the House for the entire time," said Rahul Gandhi.

He also targeted the BJP's ideology, calling it "anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitutional." Gandhi condemned the party's stance in light of Shah's recent comments in the Rajya Sabha, which he described as undermining the principles laid out by Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. "The BJP’s actions and policies are fundamentally opposed to the values of equality, justice, and democracy that Ambedkar stood for," he added.

Further, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accused the BJP of orchestrating disruptions in Parliament to deflect attention from a legal case involving industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States. He alleged that since the case surfaced, the BJP had been blocking any discussion on the issue. "Their plan is to bury the matter entirely," Gandhi stated.

The Raebareli MP,added that Shah’s statement exposed the “unconstitutional and anti-Ambedkar mindset” of the BJP and RSS, suggesting that their ultimate goal was to erase Ambedkar’s legacy. Gandhi reiterated Congress's demand for Shah’s apology and resignation, accusing him of dismissing the issue.

In addition, Rahul Gandhi also described how the confrontation unfolded earlier in the day. "Today, as we peacefully marched from Ambedkar’s statue to Parliament, BJP MPs holding wooden sticks obstructed our path and started a dispute," he said.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also spoke about the incident, claiming that BJP MPs tried to block the entry of Opposition leaders into Parliament. "We were holding a peaceful protest, walking in a line from Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s statue. Suddenly, BJP MPs sat at the Makar Dwar (main entrance) to block our entry," Kharge explained. He also criticized the physical aggression shown by BJP MPs, particularly towards women MPs. “There were so many male MPs trying to show their muscle power, even stopping our women MPs,” Kharge added.

Kharge, who was also involved in the confrontation, denied any provocation from the Opposition. "I am not physically capable of pushing anyone. Instead, I was pushed and lost my balance, causing me to sit down," he said. "Yet, they are accusing us of causing a scuffle," he added, referring to the BJP’s claims.

Earlier on Thursday, chaos erupted outside Parliament as MPs from the NDA and INDIA bloc staged separate protests over Amit Shah’s comments on Dr. BR Ambedkar. The situation escalated when the two groups confronted each other at the Makar Dwar of the Parliament House. Tensions flared further when BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pushing an MP, resulting in a fall and injury. In response, Gandhi defended his actions, explaining that he was attempting to enter Parliament when BJP MPs, who were countering protests from the INDIA alliance, confronted him.​​