Rahul case triggers clash in MP, C’garh
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Parliament following his conviction in a defamation case on Friday triggered violent protests by his party men at several places in Madhya Pradesh.
Congress leaders and workers were seen staging demonstrations at railway stations and taking out protest marches at many places in the state. The party workers staged a sitin on railway tracks at Rani Kamlapati railway station here disrupting the movement of trains for some time.
The Congress workers staged demonstrations in Indore and at many places in the Gwalior-Chambal region in the state in protest against the development.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan blamed Mr Gandhi for his disqualification from the Parliament, observing that “As you sow, so you reap”. State BJP president V.D. Sharma, however, said that neither BJP nor the Centre has anything to do with Mr Gandhi’s disqualification.
“It is a legal and constitutional process”, he said. State Congress president and former chief minister Kamal Nath, however, severely criticised Mr Gandhi’s disqualification and said that he was being victimised for daring to tell the truth. In Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, workers of the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP fought pitched battles at their respective party offices, leading to injuries to several people including policemen.
Congress workers first attacked the BJP office in Raipur by pelting stones at it and throwing black ink at the BJP posters, leading the BJP workers to retaliate. A clash ensued, leaving several party workers from both sides injured.
Later, BJP workers regrouped and attacked the Congress office in Raipur, leading to a pitched battle between them. Several activists from both parties were injured in the incident.
Raipur district additional SP Abhishek Maheshwari said that workers of both parties indulged in clashes and action would be taken against them.