Published 18:22 IST, November 16th 2019
BJP Yuva Morcha burns Rahul Gandhi's effigy in front of Bengal Cong HQ
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha on Saturday held a massive protest in front of Bengal Pradesh Congress demanding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's apology
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha on Saturday held a massive protest in front of Bengal Pradesh Congress demanding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's apology over his comment "Chowdikar Chor Hai' on the Prime Minister on the Rafale issue after the apex court gave a clean chit to the Centre in the matter on Thursday.
In a first of sorts, Yuva Morcha protesters protested in front of, Bidhan Bhawan, the Bengal Pradesh Congress Headquarters in Kolkata's Maulali area. The youth leaders of BJP vandalised posters of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi apart from trying to barge into the grand old building. Rahul Gandhi's effigy too was burnt in front of the building. The presence of massive deployment of Kolkata Police stopped protesters from breaking into the building and were successful in the dispersal of the protesters. Policemen in the process were heckled while they tried to stop the vandalisation.
'He must apologise to PM'
"Rahul Gandhi always targeted PM Modi. Now, the court has given clean chit to Prime Minister Modi. He must apologise to the PM. We will continue our protest," Shyam Jaisal, member of BJP North Kolkata Yuva Morcha said as Rahul's effigy was being burnt. Condemning the entire incident, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Bhattacharya said that he had never seen such a thing. He said, " In my 50-year political career, I have never witnessed this. I hope Bengal people do never support this act".
The Bengal BJP president and MP Dilip Ghosh reiterated the protester's comment on Rahul Gandhi's apology but condemned if any police personal was heckled. "No point going and protesting in front of that building, you won’t find anyone there. Some workers out of excitement went there and protested, and if police were heckled we don't support that, but it might have happened due to their excitement. We respect law and Kolkata Police", said the Bengal BJP leader.
Kolkata Police deploys massive force
A counter-rally and protest were planned by the Youth Congress leaders in front of BJP Bengal headquarters on Kolkata's Central Avenue. Witnessing the incident of the morning, Kolkata Police deployed massive force on Central Avenue, following which Congress protestors we're stopped at a massive distance from the building. The protesters hurled slogans against BJP and PM Modi and stopped traffic on Kolkata's busiest road. Saturday's protest is being seen as the first such incident where protesters of a national political party tried barging into another national political party's regional headquarters in Bengal.
Updated 18:44 IST, November 16th 2019