The Opposition MPs and Bharatiya Janata Party legislators on Thursday raised allegations of manhandling against each other outside Parliament.

A row broke out after BJP MP and former Union minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi alleged that he was standing near the stairs outside Parliament when Rahul Gandhi, the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, pushed another MP onto him.

Another BJP MP, Mukesh Rajput, was also allegedly injured in the scuffle, said the Hindutva party. Both of them were taken to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

On the other hand, the Congress alleged that party president Mallikarjun Kharge fell on the ground after he was pushed by BJP MPs.

Gandhi alleged that legislators of the Hindutva party had also “pushed and threatened” him while he was trying to enter Parliament.

The scuffle came amid the Opposition’s protest inside the Parliament complex, alleging that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had insulted BR Ambedkar during his speech in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Congress demanded that Shah apologise and tender his resignation. “India will not tolerate Dr Ambedkar’s insult,” Kharge had said.

Legislators from the BJP staged a counter-protest outside Parliament on Thursday, alleging that the Congress had “insulted” Ambedkar.

Following this, Congress leaders KC Venugopal, K Suresh and Manickam Tagore wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding action against BJP MPs who allegedly “manhandled” Gandhi.

“Members from the INDIA alliance were peacefully marching from the Baba Saheb Ambedkar statue to Makar Dwar [one of the entrances],” the Congress leaders said. “However, as we attempted to enter the Parliament, the protesting MPs were physically obstructed from entering.”

They added that the leader of Opposition being “physically manhandled” by the MPs of the ruling party is a “blatant assault on the personal dignity” of Gandhi and “antithetical to the democratic spirit of Parliament”.

Kharge also wrote to Birla, saying that he had sustained injury on his knees after he was pushed by BJP MPs.

“When I reached Makar Dwar along with the INDIA parties MPs, I was physically pushed by BJP MPs,” said the Congress president. “Thereafter, I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar. This inflicted an injury on my knees which have already undergone surgery.”

Kharge added that he “limped to the House” with the help of his colleagues.

“I urge you to order an inquiry into this incident which is an assault not just on me personally but on the Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha and the Congress President,” wrote Kharge.