Srinagar: The Congress on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) of being behind what it described as a “murderous attack” on Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat and claimed it was a “pre-planned” conspiracy.
The Indian National Congress is a broad-based political party in India. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa. From the late 19th-century, and especially after 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement, with over 15 million members and over 70 million participants.
The Congress vice president said the attack on his convoy was carried out by the BJP and RSS workers and this was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the BJP’s way of politics.
Gandhi yesterday faced protests in flood-hit Gujarat where a cement brick was hurled at his car allegedly by BJP supporters, breaking the window planes of his car.
Banaskantha: Window panes of a car are seen broken after alleged stone pelting at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s convoy during his visit to flood affected Dhanera village of Banaskantha district on Friday.
“The attack on Rahul Gandhi was done by the BJP, RSS people under a pre-planned conspiracy. It is a murderous attack by the BJP and the RSS on the Congress vice president,” leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
Gandhi was also shown black flags, that forced him to cut short his address at a gathering in Dhanera town of Banaskantha district and had to leave in a huff.
Azad accused the BJP government led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gujarat of failing to provide security to Gandhi, who is a SPG protectee.
“In yesterday’s incident, the BJP workers hit a big stone at me that hit my PSO. This is Modi ji, BJP’s and RSS’s way of politics. What else can we say,” Gandhi said outside Parliament.
When asked that the prime minister and the BJP have not condemned the incident so far, Gandhi said, “When they themselves do such a thing, how will they condemn it. It is done by their people so why would they condemn it.”
He later tweeted, “Respect the sentiments of Congress workers in Gujarat protesting against the administration not filing an FIR against the stone pelting, but I urge them to divert their energy in helping the people affected by floods in the state.”
Azad said such things cannot stop the Congress party or its vice president from meeting people and hearing their grievances.
Azad said that with elections round the corner, it was the responsibility of the state and central government to ensure safety and security of SPG protectees as they are to be “most protected” under an act of Parliament.
“If it happens again, I think the people of the country will not tolerate this,” he said.
Asked why Gandhi did not accept the bullet proof car provided by the state government, Azad said sometimes one has to use a non-bullet proof car and be sensitive to the public.
Kharge said, “What is happening is not good for the country and for the democracy. If people are in distress, meeting them is not an offence and giving this treatment to those who meet the people is not good.”
Anand Sharma said, “What happened in Gujarat is unacceptable in any civilised society and democracy.”
“It is also an exposure of the intent, ideology and character of the BJP and the RSS, which believes in violence, intimidation and physical assaults on political opponents and leaders,” he claimed.
He said the BJP was using every possible means to capture power everywhere.
Sharma said that there are elections in Gujarat and it was the duty and responsibility of Rahul Gandhi to stand with the people suffering due to floods and no one can stop him.
