Guwahati, Sept. 1: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday lodged an FIR at Bhangagarh police station here against a section of BJP leaders and workers for allegedly vandalising property of the APCC headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan on Sunday afternoon.
The BJP had on Sunday staged a protest outside Rajiv Bhawan, condemning Congress and INDI alliance leaders for alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother during a rally in Bihar.
In the complaint lodged by Assam Congress, details of the incident, along with video footage and eyewitness accounts of the alleged vandalism carried out by some BJP leaders and workers in front of Rajiv Bhawan, were submitted.
According to the FIR, the group of BJP workers, coming from the direction of Bhangagarh, broke through police barricades, allegedly destroyed Congress hoardings in the presence of police personnel and even “clashed” with police officers, leaving black stains on their khaki uniform.
The Congress strongly condemned the “act of hooliganism”, pointing out the irony that while the chief minister prevents Opposition parties from staging protests, his party workers are allowed to indulge in “violence”.
Based on the video evidence, the Assam PCC filed the FIR under Sections 91, 191, 192, 131, 132, 324, 329 and 351 of the Indian Justice Code against the BJP leaders.
In a statement, APCC general secretary Pradyut Bhuyan said that alongside Rajiv Bhawan, BJP hooligans also attacked district Congress offices in Sonitpur and Nagaon.
He also clarified that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi never made any derogatory remarks about the Prime Minister’s mother, and the false allegations were based on a statement made 16 minutes after Rahul Gandhi had already left the meeting venue, by BJP minority morcha worker Mohammed Rizvi, who has since been arrested by Bihar police.
Bhuyan stated that if the ruling party had any evidence that Rahul Gandhi made such comments, they should make it public instead of spreading misinformation and resorting to violence.
He further stated that attacking political party offices instead of engaging in democratic protest is a threat to democracy itself.
