HYDERABAD: One person was injured and several people taken into custody when the Youth Congress and BJP workers clashed with each other here on Tuesday.
Trouble erupted after the Youth Congress activists tried to lay siege to the state BJP office in Nampally in protest against alleged objectionable remarks made by Delhi BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri against Priyanka Gandhi.
Though they were stopped from entering the premises, they hurled stones at the office and clashed with the saffron party workers. In the melee a BJP worker sustained a head injury. Following this, the BJP workers too tried to barge into the Congress’ state headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, which is also located in Nampally.
At both the locations, police prevented the situation from getting out of hands by taking a number of activists into custody.
No place for violence
Meanwhile, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud expressed his ire over the Youth Congress leaders attacking the BJP office. “Protests should be peaceful, and there is no place for violence in a democracy,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhati Vikramarka and TPCC working president T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy also condemned the incident. They said that the BJP leader’s comments against Priyanka Gandhi were condemnable but violence has no place in democracy.
“You (BJP) hail Bharat Mata but insult Bharat Mata’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi,” Jagga Reddy said.
BJP condemns ‘cowardly act’
The BJP, meanwhile, issued a stern warning to Congress stating they can “uproot the very foundation of Congress office” if their BJP office is touched.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay tweeted, “Congress goons, don’t you dare lay a finger on the BJP office! If BJP cadres choose to act, we can uproot the very foundations of your Congress party office. Strongly condemn the cowardly attack by Congress goons on the BJP state office in Nampally. Our office is a sacred space where women and others work tirelessly — what if they were injured? We won’t be intimidated by Congress rowdyism and demand the immediate arrest of the goons responsible!”
Calling it a “cowardly act”, Union Coal & Mines Minister and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy tweeted, “Strongly condemn the Congress party’s goondaism, which targeted our @BJP4Telangana office in Nampally, Hyderabad, inflicting severe injuries on our karyakartas. It is deeply unfortunate that the state has plunged into lawlessness under the Congress government, where goons, thugs, and violence are being given a free hand. Goondaism has become the new norm under the Congress. Such violent attacks on our offices will not be tolerated at any cost, and I demand stringent action against these Congress goons.”