After protesting against Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and holding him responsible for attacks on north Indians and forcing them to leave from Gujarat, Congress leaders on Tuesday, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rising fuel prices.

Congress leaders and workers visited over half a dozen petrol pumps, including one in Hazratganj, and put black paint on the Prime Minister’s picture on a hoarding put up at the refill station, for failing to provide any relief to the public.

Taking the matter seriously, DGP OP Singh warned the Lucknow Police for its failure to check the agitators from defacing Modi’s picture and ordered registration of a case and arrest of the accused at the earliest.

Reports said that after showing black flags, releasing black balloons and also burning the effigy of the Gujarat Chief Minister, a dozen Congressmen gathered near Engineering College to register their ire on rising fuel prices on Tuesday morning.

They first raided a petrol pump in Janikipuram and defaced Modi’s picture in the hoarding put up there.

The agitators later visited Aliganj, Mahanagar and some other places, including a petrol pump near GPO crossing, and painted Modi’s picture black.

Interestingly, while the agitating Congressmen were on the prowl, the Lucknow Police remained spectators. It was only when the DGP watched the clips being played on television and gave the Lucknow police officials a dressing down that the Hazratganj police registered a case.

Meanwhile, UP Congress president Raj Babbar reacted to Gujarat Chief Minister’s statement that Congress had hatched a “conspiracy” in Gujarat to defame the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by attacking north Indians.

“The BJP and Rupani do not understand the meaning of unity, hence they always keep the people divided on caste and religious lines. They are now attacking north Indians in another attempt to create differences among the people,” Babbar said.

The UP Congress chief said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel always advocated unity and brotherhood in the country and it was an irony that the party which was dividing people and attacking north Indians was now using Patel’s name to seek votes.

“It will be better if the BJP leaders take some lesson on unity from Sardar Patel instead of indulging in vote bank politics by using his name,” Babbar said.