Cong says women MPs manhandled in Lok Sabha

The Congress on Monday alleged that two of its women parliamentarians were "manhandled" by marshals in the Lok Sabha when they were protesting in the Well of the House over the Maharashtra government formation, with the two MPs lodging a complaint with Speaker Om Birla.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also raised the issue with the Speaker in his chamber saying that such incidents were uncalled for and should not happen, sources said.

"The Congress president went to the Speaker's chamber and fought like a tigress," a female Congress MP told a TV channel.

Gandhi also asked the two women MPs -- Jothimani and Ramya Haridas -- to lodge a formal complaint with the Speaker.

Congress's Leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said an "egregious and very bad episode" took place inside Parliament.

"When House is in session, it is quite natural that opposition parties will raise this issue and try to draw the attention of this House, but, today what we have experienced, has never been experienced inside the Parliament," he said.

"Security personnel tried to evict us, manhandled. Even our women Parliamentarians (Jothimani and Ramya Haridass,) – both of them were manhandled by the security personnel," he alleged.

WATCH: LS Marshals tried to push Congress members forcefully, manhandled women

Congress members jostled with the marshals in the Lok Sabha when they stormed the Well of the House carrying placards, leading to adjournment of Parliament proceedings.

The Maharashtra government formation issue rocked the Lok Sabha on Monday, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying democracy was "murdered" in the state.

Speaker Birla named two Kerala Congress MPs -- T N Prathapan and MP Hibi Eden -- for storming the Well of the House and waving banners.

When the Speaker names a lawmaker, he or she cannot attend the House for that day.

Party sources said the two lawmakers will not apologise even if asked to do so by the Speaker.

The Congress leaders were carrying placards with messages like "save Constitution" and "save democracy" and a black banner which said "stop murder of democracy".

"It is a testing time for us. We have to decide whether we let democracy or authoritarianism prevail in this country," Chowdhury said.

"We are observing that Parliament has been turned into a war zone. Delhi Police have been assembled here; security personnel have been reinforced only to desist us from raising the pertinent issues," he claimed.

From Arunachal Pradesh to Maharashtra, during the tenure of National Democratic Alliance regime, one after another state government has been dislodged by such kind of "nefarious designs", Chowdhury claimed.

Jyothimani said, "We were very upset, sad and even angry that actually our dignity and our right to protest and our safety, I am afraid, it is all compromised within the august Institution of the Parliament."

"We have lodged the complaint with the Speaker about what happened in Parliament. We requested him to ensure our dignity and safety and the fundamental rights to protest and take action against the people who pushed us and manhandled us," she said.