AHMEDABAD: A week after BJP and Congress workers clashed at the latter’s Ahmedabad office over Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Parliament, the leadership of the grand old party has sought an immediate explanation from Gujarat party in-charge Mukul Wasnik following reports of a “tacit understanding” between leaders of both the parties on the incident.
As per sources, while some top Congress leaders were saved from police action, several workers remain in police custody. They said that certain leaders from both parties had entered into an understanding to not to “include” the names of a Congress MLA and a BJP MLA’s son in the FIR.
This development has drawn serious concern from the Delhi Congress High Command, prompting them to summon Wasnik to Delhi for an immediate report. Importantly, after the incident, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited the jailed Congress workers in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Pradesh Congress in-charge Mukul had called for an extensive executive session encompassing all districts and arranged a comprehensive three-day tour across the state.
However, abruptly altering his plans, he had to cancel the plan and depart for Delhi. A confidential source within the Congress stated, “Regarding the recent clash between BJP and Congress factions at Congress office in Ahmedabad, there is a sentiment among local leaders that prominent figures have been spared while lower-level workers have borne the brunt.
“The party’s top leadership has acknowledged this concern and swiftly summoned Wasnik to Delhi for urgent deliberations,” he added. Sources allege that during the stone-pelting incident at the Congress office, media footage clearly captured Congress and BJP leaders engaging in the skirmish.
However, in the police complaint, leaders from both parties reportedly negotiated an arrangement resulting in the exclusion of names of a Congress MLA and a BJP MLA’s son. Despite the FIR being filed against junior workers who were subsequently arrested, discontent gripped their families due to the denial of bail.