NEW DELHI: A violent confrontation erupted during a press conference held by Independent MP Pappu Yadav at his residence in Delhi on Sunday. The incident was triggered when a man confronted Yadav regarding the opposition’s controversial Ram Temple skit.
Footage from the scene depicted chaos as Yadav’s supporters clashed with the individual, escalating the situation. As per reports from ANI, the aggressor was allegedly armed with a knife when the clash occurred. Further information beyond this point is still awaited.
This disturbance follows a significant development from the previous day, when Varanasi Police filed an FIR against several opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Pappu Yadav. This action was taken in response to a protest in Parliament that reportedly offended the principles of Sanatan Dharma and stirred religious sentiments.
The FIR stemmed from complaints lodged by various seers who expressed strong disapproval of a symbolic skit performed by MPs from the INDIA bloc. The skit was intended to shed light on allegations concerning financial misconduct related to donations made for the Ram Temple.
During the protest that occurred outside Parliament on Friday, opposition MPs set up donation boxes near the entrance to Makar Dwar to draw attention to the purported misappropriation of temple funds. Rahul Gandhi and several other MPs were seen depositing money into these boxes, while Pappu Yadav, in the garb of a temple priest, portrayed a scene where he appeared to pocket the donations.
According to Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kashi Zone), the FIR was filed at the Kotwali police station due to complaints from seers who claimed that the protest “insulted” their faith.
Seer Jagatguru Balak Das condemned Pappu Yadav’s actions, labeling them as “unforgivable.”
He insisted, “No follower of Sanatan Dharma can forget this act. It has hurt our religious sentiments. So we have demanded that a case be registered.”
The protest also highlighted concerns regarding alleged police actions against student activists during a march to Parliament on July 20. Notable participants in the recent protests included Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Maji.
