On 21st January (Sunday), the Congress party escalated its allegations and claims of victimhood with Gandhi Scion Rahul claiming that his bus was under attack from BJP workers who carried sticks.
Currently, Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is on its Assam leg which started on 18th January and will culminate on 25th January. Addressing a rally in Nagaon, Congress Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi claimed, “20-25 BJP workers carrying sticks came in front of our bus, and when I came out from the bus, they ran away…they think that Congress is scared of BJP and RSS, they’re dreaming.”
#WATCH | Nagaon, Assam: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, " 20-25 BJP workers carrying sticks came in front of our bus, and when I came out from the bus, they ran away…they think that Congress is scared of BJP and RSS, they're dreaming. They can tear as many posters and placards… pic.twitter.com/BDpB6WHs1X
— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2024
He further added, “They can tear as many posters and placards as they want, we don’t care. we are not scared of anybody, we are neither scared of PM Narendra Modi nor Assam CM.”
Following his allegations, BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya hit back at Rahul Gandhi and shared a video of the said incident.
In the attached video, locals and BJP supporters can be seen waving saffron flags and raising slogans ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Modi Modi’, prompting an angry reaction from the Congress leader.
According to the BJP IT cell head, Rahul Gandhi lost his cool on hearing Jai Shri Ram and Modi slogans. Taking a dig at the Congress party, Malviya asked how would the party face people after it decided to reject the Ram Mandir invite.
He wrote, “Rahul Gandhi lost his cool after Jai Shri Ram and Modi Modi slogans were raised in his presence. If this is how rattled he is, how will he face the people of this country in the days ahead, after the anti-Hindu Congress rejected the invite to be part of the Pran Pratistha in Ayodhya?”
Rahul Gandhi lost his cool after Jai Shri Ram and Modi Modi slogans were raised in his presence. If this is how rattled he is, how will he face the people of this country in days ahead, after the anti-Hindu Congress rejected the invite to be part of the Pran Pratistha in Ayodhya? pic.twitter.com/XsBX4elSBG
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 21, 2024
As per the visuals of the incident, locals/BJP supporters can be seen raising party or saffron flags as opposed to the victimhood claims of the Congress party and its leader claiming that 20-25 people surrounded their bus with sticks. Following this, Rahul Gandhi got down from the bus and charged towards the crowd, surrounded by his security detail. He was asking why his vehicle was stopped.
However, the security personnel and his party workers stopped him from moving ahead and moved him back onto the bus. While Rahul Gandhi claimed that people ran away after he came out of the bus, the visuals show otherwise. It shows that nobody ran away after he charged towards the crowd, instead, he was pushed back onto the bus by his own aides, perhaps to prevent any escalation of the situation.
#WATCH | Sonitpur, Assam: Rahul Gandhi being moved inside the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' bus by his security personnel and party workers as the Congress MP moved towards a large crowd of people that also included people with BJP flags.
— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2024
Meanwhile, Congress has claimed that the… pic.twitter.com/iXOFtsk8PN
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Ram Bhakts have every right to chant Jai Shri Ram on the eve of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, and Rahul Gandhi should not lose his cool over it. He tweeted, “Rahul Gandhi shouldn’t lose his cool and be allergic to the chanting of Jai Shri Ram. He cannot instigate violence and threaten the public in this manner.”
On the eve of Shri Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha, Ram Bhakts have every right to chant Jai Shri Ram.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 21, 2024
Rahul Gandhi shouldn’t lose his cool and be allergic to the chanting of Jai Shri Ram . He cannot instigate violence and threaten the public in this manner 🙏
📍Assam pic.twitter.com/tYxblAPHna
Sharing the video of the incident, Assam Minister Piyush Hazarika slammed the Congress leader for his angry outburst on people chanting Jai Shri Ram.
He asked, “Why is @RahulGandhi attacking people for chanting Jai Shri Ram? What does he think of himself ?”
Why is @RahulGandhi attacking people for chanting Jai Shri Ram ? What does he think of himself ? pic.twitter.com/UuxsiFLm1T
— Pijush Hazarika (@Pijush_hazarika) January 21, 2024
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had ordered DGP Assam to launch a probe into allegations raised by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. He had claimed that his vehicle was attacked and banners were torn by BJP supporters.
