New Delhi: A light-hearted act turned into a major political flashpoint on Monday after Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury arrived at Parliament with a puppy, triggering a sharp war of words between the Congress and the BJP.

Chowdhury, a Rajya Sabha MP, drove into the Parliament complex with a small puppy, drawing attention and raising questions over parliamentary protocol. Although she later sent the puppy back home in her car, the incident quickly escalated into a controversy.

‘Those who bite are inside Parliament’: Renuka Chowdhury

Responding to criticism, Renuka Chowdhury defended herself, saying she rescued the puppy on her way to Parliament after finding it abandoned near an accident site.

“What protocol? Is there a law? While on my way to Parliament House, I spotted the puppy near a collision site. Afraid that it could be run over, I picked it up and brought it here in the car. Then I sent it back home” the Congress MP asked.

However, it was her sharp comment that sparked stronger reactions.

"Those who bite are sitting inside the parliament and running the government. Is there no problem with that? If I take care of an animal, it becomes a topic of discussion,” Renuka Chowdhury said, alleging that criticism against her was politically motivated. She added that she has adopted several indie dogs in the past.

BJP calls it ‘drama’, demands apology

The BJP condemned the remarks, accusing the Congress leader of insulting MPs and the dignity of Parliament.

Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said Renuka Chowdhury “compared MPs and Parliamentary staff to dogs,” calling the act nothing more than “drama by the Congress.”

“She brings a dog to Parliament, and when asked about it, she says that those who bite are inside. That means the Parliament, Parliamentary staff, and the MPs. They are dogs, in her opinion,” he said. “Congress Party has made it amply clear that they don't want dialogue or discussion in Parliament. They want disruption, not delivery, in Parliament. They want drama and not policy.”

Poonawala also linked the incident to past remarks made by Chowdhury and criticised the Congress for disrespecting constitutional institutions.

The tension over the puppy incident added to an already heated day in Parliament, where members of the BJP and Congress clashed over multiple issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and pollution.