sangCongress leader Rahul Gandhi has been under fire recently for his anti-Hindu statement “Hindus are violent,” in the parliament. Meanwhile, an incident of attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who had come to protest near the Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad has come to light. They were brutally assaulted with stones, sticks and sharp weapons which resulted in many injuries.
Now, a complaint has been lodged against multiple Congress and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) members including party MLA Shailesh Parmar, Pragati Ahir, Shahzad Pathan, Imran Rafiq Shethji, Akash Sarkar and NSUI leader Sanjay Solanki. The complaint has been filed by Ahmedabad Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Vinay Desai.
Attack with stones, glass bottles, sticks and sharp weapons: Vinay Desai
OpIndia spoke to Vinay Desai to gather information about the matter and he revealed, “BJP Yuva Morcha workers staged a protest a short distance from the Congress office with placards, in response to Rahul Gandhi’s anti-Hindu comments. However, our people were attacked. Congress leaders, workers and goons called by them attacked our workers with stones, glass bottles, sticks and sharp weapons when our workers were standing. They came in a crowd, smashed the police-erected barricades and attacked the group wounding several of our workers. Five of them had to be transported to a hospital for treatment due to their critical condition. The cops who were present on the spot were also injured. BJYM workers were demonstrating in a peaceful and democratic manner. We have submitted a complaint against Shaileshbhai Parmar, Shahzad Pathan and others.”
Ahmedabad City BJP president Amit Shah also stated, “Workers from the BJP Yuva Morcha had gone to the Congress office to peacefully protest Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that were disparaging to Hindus. All they had with them were placards. However, Congress officials and workers threw stones, liquor bottles and acid bottles at them. Five of our workers were seriously injured in this attack and were immediately admitted to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SVP) Hospital for treatment.”
Shailesh Parmar was spotted among the Congress workers
Notably, a video of the occurrence has also surfaced in which the Congress workers could be witnessed running towards the police and BJP workers with sticks in their hands. Some of Congress members are also seen pelting stones. More importantly, even party MLAs are marching with the mob as BJYM workers are getting attacked. Shailesh Parmar is also saying something loudly in the footage. On the other hand, police and Home Guard personnel have also been wounded in the assault. According to initial information, a total of seven people including a senior official of the Ahmedabad Police, other policemen and Home Guard personnel sustained injuries during the instance.
Background of the incident
Rahul Gandhi has been facing continuous opposition after claiming “Hindus are violent” in Parliament. Ahmedabad BJP also organised a protest following a large-scale agitation by Bajrang Dal activists near the Gujarat Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad late on 1st July. An altercation transpired between the two sides and the BJP charged that Congress workers started stone-pelting at them when they were 300–400 meters away from the party’s office. They disclosed that some of their workers were taken to LG Hospital, Ahmedabad for medical care after suffering injuries. Acid and alcohol bottles, sticks and stones were hurled at them from the Congress office.
An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer was also wounded in the assault. The authorities broke down the door and entered the Congress office after party workers locked it from inside. Senior police officers including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime Branch and other Ahmedabad city BJP president Amit Shah were also present at the location. Now, the entire area has been turned into a police cantonment after BJP workers were assaulted by Congressmen at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan (Gujarat Congress Headquarters) in Ahmedabad.