IANS
Imphal, December 20 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Thursday slammed Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for reportedly “misbehaving” with Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland Phangnon Konyak on Parliament premises.
The Chief Minister in a post on X said: “I condemn the unacceptable and disgraceful conduct of Congress leader Mr Rahul Gandhi, who assaulted Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland, Ms. S Phangnon, in Parliament.”
“This behaviour is an insult to the sanctity of the Parliament as an institution. I stand in solidarity with Ms. S Phangnon Konyak and I urge the authorities to ensure that justice is swiftly served. Let us work towards upholding the values of respect, equality, and decency in our institutions,” Biren Singh said.
Earlier on Thursday, Konyak, the BJP’s Upper House member from Nagaland and also the state President of BJP Mahila Morcha in Nagaland, accused Rahul Gandhi of making her feel uncomfortable while protesting outside Parliament.
Konyak filed a complaint with the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday, claiming that her dignity and self-esteem have been deeply hurt because of the ‘behaviour and conduct’ of Rahul Gandhi.
“He misbehaved with me in a loud voice and his physical proximity to me was so close that I, being a lady member, felt extremely uncomfortable,” she said.
“I stepped aside with a heavy heart and felt that no Member of Parliament should behave this way,” she added.
The showdown between the Congress-led Opposition and ruling BJP-led NDA over the alleged “insult” to B.R. Ambedkar led to an ugly turn on Parliament premises with claims of pushing and shoving involving MPs, leaving two BJP parliamentarians hospitalised and the woman BJP MP accusing Rahul Gandhi of “misbehaving” with Konyak.
The BJP accused the LoP in Lok Sabha of pushing MPs, causing injuries to two of its members.
Rahul Gandhi, however, denied it and said it was he who was pushed by a ruling party member, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also accused protesting BJP members of shoving him and injuring his knees.
Both sides lodged complaints with the police.
