New Delhi, Dec 19: A heated confrontation unfolded in Parliament premises on Thursday during a protest by Opposition MPs alleging disrespect towards Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The incident escalated when BJP MP Pratap Sarangi accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pushing an MP, causing a chain reaction that led Sarangi to fall and sustain a head injury.

Speaking to IANS, Sarangi claimed, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, and he collided with me. I fell and hit my head, which is bleeding. The push was initiated by Rahul Gandhi.”

Denying claims of deliberately pushing the BJP leader, Rahul Gandhi told reporters, “It might be recorded in the cameras. BJP MPs were stopping us from entering Parliament. They blocked and threatened us. This is our right to protest.”

The protest was held against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks in the Rajya Sabha, which the Opposition claimed insulted Dr Ambedkar. The Opposition demanded HM Shah’s removal from the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, BJP MPs staged a counter-protest, accusing Congress of disrespecting the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar. Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, they raised slogans such as “Congress party maafi maango, Ambedkar ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan (Congress must apologise, India will not tolerate the insult to Ambedkar).”

Thakur further criticised the Congress, stating, “The Nehru-Gandhi family has repeatedly disrespected Dr. Ambedkar. Despite being the architect of the Constitution, they worked to defeat him in elections and delayed honouring him with the Bharat Ratna, which was finally awarded by a non-Congress government.”

Srinagar, Dec 19: Five terrorists were killed and 2 Army soldiers injured on Thursday in a fierce gunfight in J&K’s Kulgam district.

Officials said that five terrorists were killed and two soldiers injured in a fierce encounter between the joint forces and holed up terrorists in Kadder village of Behibagh area of Kulgam district today.

This is the largest number of terrorists killed in a single operation by the security forces in J&K in 2024.

“Joint forces including 34 Rashtriya Rifles, police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) in Kadder village after receiving information about a group of terrorists hiding inside the village.

“As the joint forces closed on the hiding terrorists, the ultras fired triggering an encounter in which five terrorists were killed and two Army soldiers injured.

“The identity of the slain terrorists is being ascertained. The injured soldiers have been evacuated to hospital for treatment. Search operation now continues in the area”, officials said.

Security forces say that the killing of five terrorists in Kulgam is a major success for the joint forces in their relentless pursuit to dismantle the terror ecosystem in J&K.

Security forces have started an aggressive campaign against terrorists, their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in order to dismantle the terror ecosystem in J&K.

Properties worth multiples of crores belonging to drug smugglers and peddlers have been attached in Kashmir Valley after obtaining requisite orders from the competent authority.

LG Manoj Sinha has been chairing top level security meetings. During these meetings he has given clear orders to the security forces to go all-out against the terror ecosystem.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah is chairing a top level security review meeting regarding J&K today in Delhi.

Chiefs of Intelligence agencies, police, CAPFs and others connected with the anti-terrorist grid in J&K will attend the meeting.

Nagpur, Dec 18: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday took a dig at Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray over his meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying it was like “meet this one, meet that one and go home next day.”

He thereby downplayed the meeting between Thackeray and Fadnavis.

“Anyone can meet the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the state. The opposition party also meets him. The leaders of other parties of the opposition party also meet him. I see a radical change in those who criticised him severely, talked about ending him, and talked about putting him in jail. It is not wrong to meet Devendra Fadnavis,” said Shinde.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena legislator and former minister Deepak Kesarkar said “If Uddhav Thackeray had held such a meeting earlier (with Devendra Fadnavis), Shiv Sena would not have been divided into two.”

“Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray had not even responded to Devendra Fadnavis’ telephonic calls. Uddhav Thackeray abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s idea of Hindutva for the post of Chief Minister. Eknath Shinde had no other demand. Eknath Shinde’s only demand was that we should go with the idea of Hindutva. We should not go with the Congress. But if Uddhav Thackeray had met Devendra Fadnavis then, all this would not have happened. Devendra Fadnavis called Uddhav Thackeray many times in 2019. But now it is too late. Now the MahaYuti government has come back to power again,” said Kesarkar.

Meanwhile, Shinde slammed the opposition for their campaign against EVMs, saying that “When the poll results go against them, allegations are made against EVMs.”

“When the results are in favour of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, then EVMs are good. For them, the Election Commission is good. The Supreme Court and the High Court are also good. When the results are against them, then they start blaming EVMs. The opposition has been doing this for the last few days. In 2004 and 2009, voting was done on EVMs and the Congress won. When you win, you praise that system,” he added.

“Even the Supreme Court said that when you win, you don’t come to us and when you lose, you come to us. This is a double standard. After winning the Lok Sabha elections, you (the opposition) didn’t talk about EVMs. Omar Abdullah has also slammed the Congress,” said Eknath Shinde.

He said that Congress should not insult the mandate otherwise the people will make them sit at home. Shinde also ridiculed Uddhav Thackeray for his demand that the appointment of Election Commissioner be made through election.