All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi left red-faced after attack on his car couple with fluttering of black flags in front of him by some persons while chanting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dhanera town during his visit to flood affected North Gujarat region on Friday.
The car of AICC vice-president attacked with a stone pelting he was heading from lal Chowk area of Dhanera town in Banaskantha district to nearby helipad. Though the Congress leader escaped unhurt, the rear window pane of the car broken and an SPG commando reportedly injured. He was immediately shifted to another car and the vehicle with broken window pane was taken to a police station.
Undeterred by the attack, Gandhi adhered with his schedule and headed towards another flood affected Runi village where he said that there was a small group of 8-10 persons raising black flags and one of them pelted stone at his car. “I was welcomed with black flags coupled with slogan shouting for Narendra Modiji. I also welcome them. We don’t afraid of such protests. We are not in government but Congress party will continue to raise people’s issue in lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,’’ he said.
A day after visiting flood affected parts of eastern state of Assam, the scion of Gandhi-Nehru family flew down to Dhanera on Friday afternoon straight from flood-hit areas of neighbouring Rajasthan. He spoke to people who suffered rain fury in Manotra village near Dhanera and also visited Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) and met farmers and traders there whose agriculture produces washed away in the flooding waters. “We will do whatever we can to offer you relief although we don‘t have our government either in Gujarat or at the Centre,” he said.
Meanwhile reacting on the stone pelting incident Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that as per protocol, Gandhi was offered two bulletproof cars but he didn’t accept those cars and preferred to travel by a private car. However, the Gujarat Congress claimed that the cares offered by the state government were old and hence Rahul went ahead by the party’s vehicle.
“People of Gujarat know the tricks of Congress rather too well. Their anti-people and anti- Gujarat mind-set not a secret,” tweeted Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in context of protests against the Congress vice-president in North Gujarat. Terming him perpetual tourism, Rupani further said that he came to Gujarat but people are asking where Congress MlAs are in this crucial time. He however condemned that incident of attack on Gandhi’s convoy and ordered to take stern action against the responsible persons.
In context to Congress MlAs Bengaluru episode, the CM remarked that Rahul Gandhi’s leadership style is working wonders in his party. Congress MlAs are following his and they also are in vacation mode, he added. Gujarat Minister Shankar Chaudhary claimed that the people are angry with their Congress MlAs who are enjoying in Bengaluru while the locals suffer due to the flood aftermath.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel who is contesting Rajya Sabha polls from the state trained his guns on the state government claiming that law & order situation deteriorated in the state and the attack was executed and planned by BJP workers. Patel said that the state government didn’t take any action against the responsible persons. Condemning the attack on his leader’s car, the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Bharatsinh Solanki demanded judicial inquiry.
It is worth mentioning that after worst ever flood in the past seven decades danger of epidemic is looming over the Banaskantha and Patan districts of North Gujarat. In such situation politicians across the party line are making beeline even as six Congress from the region are at a luxurious resort in Bengaluru. The Dhanera APMC has lost inventory worth about Rs 500 crore and is now stinking due to rotten food grains. Over 250 people have died in the State due to flood, including 70 in Banaskantha alone. Over 14,000 cattle have also died.