"They Said Bhaiyya Pushed...": Priyanka Slams "Conspiracy" Against Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra waded into the chaos and throwdown - complete with parliamentarians screaming at each other, brawls, and injuries to at least three MPs - outside the Parliament building Thursday, claiming the BJP had hatched a conspiracy to defame her brother.

Ms Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP for obnoxious behaviour - or "goonda-gardi" - during the physical confrontation this morning as ruling party and those from the opposition pushed and shoved each other to protest Home Minister Amit Shah's "Ambedkar is the fashion" remark.

"Rahulji, carrying a photo of Dr BR Ambedkar and saying 'Jai Bhim', was peacefully entering Parliament. You can see who stopped him... we have been protesting for many days and always give way to people. But today, when they (the BJP MPs) protested, there was goonda-gardi," she said.

"... to save Amit Shahji they (the BJP) have started this conspiracy that bhaiyya (Mr Gandhi) pushed someone. Before my eyes Khargeji was pushed and fell to the ground. After that a CPM MP was pushed and he fell on Khargeji. All of this is a conspiracy. BJP's real sentiment was seen today."

Ms Gandhi Vadra also threw down a dare; "I challenge the BJP MPs to chant 'Jai Bhim'," she said.

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed outside the Parliament building today after protest met counterprotest in the BJP vs opposition war over Mr Shah's quip about Dr Ambedkar, an iconic figure among Dalits, a vast vote bank across the nation, and the architect of the Constitution.

The first flashpoint was an allegation by the BJP that two of its MPs - Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput - had been "seriously injured" by Mr Gandhi during the pushing and shoving.

READ | Protests At Parliament Turn Into Injury vs Injury Claims By BJP, Congress

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju led the BJP's attack on Mr Gandhi, who holds a black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art declaring, "Have you learnt karate, kung fu, to beat other MPs?"

Mr Gandhi responded by saying it was, in fact, a group of BJP MPs who had blocked his entry into Parliament, and threatened him. He said Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge had been pushed too.

Mr Kharge wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, saying he had been hurt as massed ranks of BJP and opposition MPs went toe-to-toe outside Parliament, each seemingly trying to push the other off the map. "(I was) ... forced to the ground... inflicted injury on my knees, which have undergone surgery."

The 'injury list' exchange - the BJP also filed a police case against Mr Gandhi - was followed by claims from women MPs alleging misbehaviour by their male counterparts from the other side.

READ | Amid 'Injury vs Injury' Row In Parliament, Congress Women MPs Say...

That exchange began with the BJP's Nagaland MP - Phangnon Konyak - accused the Congress' Rahul Gandhi of misbehaving with her. The Congress responded with a group of its women MPs marching on the Parliament Street Police Station to make similar accusations against male BJP MPs.

Amit Shah's "Ambedkar" Remark Row

On Monday, in concluding remarks on a two-day debate on the Constitution, Mr Shah had said, "It has become the fashion to say 'Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar...' If they (the opposition) took God's name so many times, they will get a place in heaven."

The remark triggered a furious pushback from the opposition, with the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leading the charge, and demanding Mr Shah apologise and resign his post. Meanwhile, the Trinamool and the Congress have moved privilege motions against Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha.

READ | "If PM Respects Ambedkar...": Congress' Kharge Targets Amit Shah

On Wednesday evening a combative Mr Shah - Prime Minister Modi's No 2 - seemed to take the unusual step of publicly defending his statement, declaring his rivals had "distorted facts" after being stung by "examples of how the Constitution was attacked and wounded by the Congress".

READ | "Congress Anti-Ambedkar, Twisted My Words": Amit Shah Responds

The Prime Minister has also spoken out, declaring, "If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think malicious lies can hide their misdeeds... especially insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are mistaken!"