IMPHAL, Dec 20: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has condemned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for reportedly “misbehaving” with Phangnon Konyak, the Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland, on the premises of Parliament.
In a post on X, Singh expressed his strong disapproval, stating, “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.” He further emphasized, “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.”
The incident occurred earlier on Thursday, when Konyak, a BJP member from Nagaland and the state President of BJP Mahila Morcha in Nagaland, accused Rahul Gandhi of making her feel uncomfortable while protesting outside Parliament. Konyak filed a formal complaint with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, claiming that Gandhi’s behavior had deeply hurt her dignity and self-esteem.
Konyak said, “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 added, “I stepped aside with a heavy heart and felt that no Member of Parliament should behave this way.”
The incident followed heightened tensions between the Congress-led Opposition and the BJP-led NDA over an alleged insult to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, with the situation on Parliament grounds escalating into an altercation. The scuffle reportedly involved pushing and shoving, leaving two BJP parliamentarians hospitalized. Konyak accused Gandhi of misbehaving during the incident.
In response, the BJP accused the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha of pushing MPs, which resulted in injuries to two of its members. Rahul Gandhi, however, denied the allegations, claiming that it was he who had been pushed by a ruling party member. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also accused BJP members of shoving him, causing an injury to his knees.
Both the Congress and BJP lodged complaints with the police in connection with the incident.
