Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Neeraj Badgujar confirmed to The Indian Express that a stone was thrown at the car in which Rahul was on his way to the helipad after meeting flood victims at Dhanera.
Congress on Friday announced that they will hold statewide protests on Saturday hours after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s car was pelted with stones while he was travelling during his tour to the flood-affected Banaskantha district of Gujarat on Friday. The party also filed a complaint against four BJP men for the attack and sought an FIR for attempt to murder. Windowpanes of Rahul Gandhi’s car were shattered in the attack, but the Congress vice-president escaped unhurt as he was sitting in the front seat. Rahul was travelling with SPG commandos some of whom were reportedly injured in the attack as they were sitting in the back.
Minutes after stone was thrown at him Rahul said, “I am not affected, my job is done.” He also said, “We are not going to step back because of PM Modi’s slogans, showing black flags and stone pelting.” He met flood victims at Runi village in Banaskantha after the incident.
नरेंद्र मोदी जी के नारों से, काले झंडों से और पत्थरों से हम पीछे हटने वाले नहीं हैं, हम अपनी पूरी ताकत लोगों की मदद करने में लगाएंगे
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) August 4, 2017
“BJP goons attack Congress VP Rahulji’s car in Lal Chowk, Dhanera, Banaskanta, Gujarat. Disgusting and disgraceful. Windowpanes of Congress VP’s car broken in an organized attack by goons, security staff injured. BJP must know truth can’t be silenced,” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
The BJP, however, said it was an unfortunate incident and the party had no role to play in it. “This is absolutely false. If any incident has happened it is unfortunate. I don’t think BJP is behind this, said BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.
Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Neeraj Badgujar confirmed to The Indian Express that a stone was thrown at the car in which Rahul was on his way to the helipad after meeting flood victims at Dhanera. One of the windows was damaged, the SP added.
ANI quoted Badgujar as saying: “Registering an FIR in incident where unknown persons attacked Rahul Gandhi’s car. investigation will be done.”
Reacting to the incident, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “We strongly condemn the act cult of violence for which the BJP and its cadres are famous. This is being deliberately done by the BJP to create an atmosphere of fear in the state of Gujarat just before the Assembly elections. This is yet another example of intolerance exhibited by BJP and its workers openly.”
Gandhi is on a visit to the flood-affected district which has six Congress MLAs. None of the party MLAs have visited the district since they are away at a Bengaluru resort to avoid being poached ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on August 8. Black flags were also waved at him at the agricultural produce market committee where he had stopped to meet flood victims. Rahul, in his address, responded saying: “Aane do aane do, yeh kale jhande yahan lagane do, ghabraye hue yeh log, koi farak nahi padta humein (let them come, let those waving black flags come. They are a scared lot, it doesn’t make any difference to us).
