Workers of BJP, Congress file molestation complaints

AHMEDABAD: Women workers of both the BJP and Congress late on Sunday night filed complaints at Sabarmati Riverfront (West) police station, alleging that they were molested by unknown persons when a clash erupted when a debate was being filmed for a TV channel, at the riverfront near Paldi.

According to the FIR filed by a BJP worker, she was molested by four or five persons, who got angry at her unparliamentary comments about Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"I was telling a reporter that if Pappu can’t settle down himself how will he run the country. As I said this, five persons got angry and rushed towards me. They grabbed my Punjabi dress and broke its buttons," the BJP worker, a Ghodasar resident, said.

The FIR states that her party members rescued him from them men, who were supporters of Congress leader Raju Parmar. Parmar is the Congress candidate from Ahmedabad West Lok Sabha seat. Apart from Parmar, BJP’s Ahmedabad West MP Kirit Solanki and president of the Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Rutvij Patel, were part of the debate.

The FIR filed by a Congress worker states, "Where there was a break after the first half of the debate, the lights suddenly went off. A man, who was short and wearing ayellow kurta, forcibly held me and then pushed me to the ground. He then, tore my dress from behind and indecently touched my body."

She stated that she was also rescued by party workers.

A police official said, "We have asked the channel for footage of the incident."

Sources said Patel, who was thrashed by unknown persons, vented his anger on a police official when the FIR was being registered. He was insistent on the complaint of his party worker being lodged first.

The incident occurred late on Sunday night when clash erupted at a political debate organized by the news channel after had tempers flared.