BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of diverting attention from Vande Mataram row with police station sit-in
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Friday accused Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of attempting to divert attention from the ongoing row over the national song 'Vande Mataram' by staging a sit-in at the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi.
Mr. Gandhi held a dharna at the police station, demanding the registration of a case in connection with pellet injuries sustained by 19-year-old Sahil Lochab during a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party. The incident dates back to July 20, and Mr. Gandhi has been pressing for legal action against those responsible.
Union Minister J.P. Nadda described the sit-in as a ploy to shift focus from the 'Vande Mataram' controversy, which has put the Congress party on the back foot. “Rahul Gandhi ji’s protest today is neither for students nor for justice; it is a symbol of the Congress party’s political desperation and Rahul Gandhi’s insatiable hunger for ‘footage’,” Mr. Nadda said.
Mr. Nadda pointed out that the Supreme Court has already taken cognizance of the July 20 incident and constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by a former judge. “When the country’s highest court is investigating the matter, what does Rahul Gandhi seek to prove by sitting outside a police station in front of the cameras? Has the Leader of Opposition lost faith in the country’s judiciary?” he asked.
The Union Minister also noted that the police had informed Mr. Gandhi that the Crime Branch was already conducting an intensive investigation into all cases related to July 20, and had assured him that the specific incident flagged by him would also be referred to the Crime Branch. “Despite this clarification from the administration, sitting on a protest demonstrates Rahul Gandhi’s obstinacy and exposes the Congress party’s desperation,” Mr. Nadda added.
Questioning the timing of the sit-in, Mr. Nadda said the Congress was facing criticism across the country over its stance on 'Vande Mataram'. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remark that the Congress is a “parasitic party”, adding that the party was now hell-bent on destroying the future of children and students as well.
Former Union Minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised Mr. Gandhi for staging the dharna without prior permission. He said the Congress was indulging in the “politics of anarchy” to divert attention after being cornered on the 'Vande Mataram' issue. Referring to the Supreme Court’s decision, he asked whether Mr. Gandhi had no respect for rules and laws, and whether he would simply go and sit wherever he wished, creating anarchy.
Mr. Prasad also linked the Congress’s position on 'Vande Mataram' to historical decisions, alleging that the party, under pressure from the Muslim League and for “pro-Muslim appeasement”, had decided in 1937 to sing only two stanzas of the national song. He asserted that the Congress under Rahul Gandhi was becoming “a party of anarchy”.
The sit-in comes amid a political row over comments allegedly made by Congress leaders regarding 'Vande Mataram', with the BJP accusing the party of insulting the national song. The Congress has denied any disrespect and accused the BJP of distorting its statements for political gain. As of Friday evening, no official response from the Congress to the BJP's allegations was available.
