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Who is Pratap Sarangi, BJP MP in ICU after scuffle at Parliament today?
Protests over Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar turned violent in Parliament, injuring BJP MPs Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Sarangi.
Protests over Home Minister Amit Shah's 'Ambedkar is the fashion' remarks turned violent today as Parliamentarians pushed each other while standing on stairs. Both the BJP and Congress allege that the other side used force to harass and prevent their rivals from entering the Parliament.
Two BJP MPs - Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Chandra Sarangi - were injured during the scuffle. Both of them have been rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi, where they are currently being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
"Two MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput are hospitalised at RML. The two are currently in ICU at the hospital, and the doctor's team is providing treatment to stabilize them. Investigations like CT scan and others are undergoing," RML spokesperson Ajay Shukla said.
"MP Pratap Sarangi was brought to the hospital, with a deep cut on his head, and till the time of arrival at the hospital, had lost a lot of blood. Doctors have stitched the cut for him. Meanwhile, MP Mukesh Rajput, was brought with some head injury and high blood pressure," the hospital added.
What happened in the Parliament?
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned following noisy protests by the Opposition seeking an apology from Amit Shah for his remarks on Ambedkar.
Dressed in blue, a colour associated with B R Ambedkar, INDIA bloc MPs, including the Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament premises demanding Amit Shah's resignation for his remarks related to the chief architect of the Constitution.
BJP-led NDA parliamentarians also carried out a march within Parliament premises, raising slogans and carrying placards demanding an apology from the opposition Congress for allegedly insulting Ambedkar.
As parliamentarians from the INDIA bloc confronted MPs from the ruling coalition near the Makar Dar of Parliament, the two groups engaged in loud sloganeering, each trying to outshout the other.
The INDIA bloc members began their protest by gathering at the statue of B.R. Ambedkar within the Parliament premises, holding signs that read "Main Bhi Ambedkar," "Jai Bhim," and "Amit Shah maafi maango."
They then organized a protest march across the Parliament grounds. MPs from various parties, including Congress, DMK, RJD, SP, Left, and NCP(SP), participated in the demonstration. Several opposition MPs, such as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and K. Kanimozhi, were seen wearing blue.
Who is Mukesh Rajput?
Mukesh Rajput, a prominent BJP leader, is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) from the Farrukhabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He defeated Naval Kishor Shakya of the Samajwadi Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The 55-year-old holds a Bachelor of Science degree from RP Degree College, Kamalganj Janpad Farrukhabad, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, which he completed in 1990.
Mukesh Rajput's assets are valued at approximately ₹9.36 crores, with no reported liabilities, according to the affidavit filed by him for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Who is Pratap Chandra Sarangi?
BJP leader Pratap Chandra Sarangi is a Member of Parliament from the Balasore constituency in Odisha.
Sarangi's educational background includes a Bachelor's degree from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, under Utkal University, which he completed in 1975. His early life was marked by a strong spiritual inclination, and he even considered becoming a monk of the Ramakrishna Math.
Before entering politics, Sarangi worked as a Head Clerk at Nilgiri College, Nilgiri, Balasore, Odisha. His political career began as a district-level volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and he also worked for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal.
Sarangi's political journey includes being elected as a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly twice, from 2004 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2014, both times from the Nilagiri constituency. He also contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Balasore, Lok Sabha constituency, but lost. However, he won in 2019 from the same constituency, defeating the Biju Janata Dal candidate and sitting MP, Rabindra Kumar Jena, by a margin of 12,956 votes.
In May 2019, Sarangi became the Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries. He has been instrumental in revolutionizing primary education in rural areas through the innovative concept of community-funded Ekal Vidyalaya or single-teacher schools.
However, Sarangi has also been involved in some controversies, including his alleged involvement in the 1999 Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines' murder case. Although he denied any involvement, the incident has been a subject of debate.
