New Delhi, Oct 13 — Demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi BJP workers on Tuesday staged a protest outside Congress headquarters against the alleged pushing, inappropriate touching and verbal abuse of the party’s women leaders by Congress workers a day earlier.
Led by Delhi General Secretary Mohan Lal Gihara, BJP workers gathered at the Bal Bhawan gate and marched towards Congress headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. The police stopped them by putting up barricades and detained the protesters, according to a statement.
The protesters raised slogans: “Stop Attacks on Women, Rahul Gandhi Must Apologise.”
Gihara said that on Monday, when BJP Mahila Morcha workers went to Congress headquarters to raise their voices against the Congress MP from Manipur accused of harassing female students at JNU, they were allegedly manhandled and verbally abused by Congress workers.
“The incident of Congress workers misbehaving with BJP Mahila Morcha activists is not an isolated case. Just two days ago, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi misbehaved with women police personnel, and on Monday evening, he pushed a pregnant woman journalist. Such behaviour is condemnable,” said Gihara.
“This is the real face of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. Outside, they raise slogans in the name of ‘Nari Shakti’, but inside, women are subjected to attacks. Is this what they call democracy? Is this what they call respect for women?” said Gihara.
“The BJP warns the Congress to stop attacks on women. Rahul Gandhi must apologise publicly, and the Congress party must immediately expel MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. Till the time justice is delivered to women, the BJP’s youth wing will continue its struggle from the streets to Parliament,” he said
On Monday, the BJP Mahila Morcha assembled at Andhra School on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Marg to protest against the alleged harassment of female students by JNU professor and Congress MP from Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. The women then marched towards Congress headquarters situated on DDU Marg.
The Delhi Police stopped the march 100 metres before Congress headquarters. However, around 8–10 women managed to reach the main gate, where Congress workers allegedly pushed and manhandled the BJP Mahila Morcha activists and used abusive language against them, the statement said.
In a related development, BJP Mahila Morcha workers, who were subjected to alleged indecent behaviour by Congress workers during Monday’s protest outside Congress headquarters, on Tuesday submitted a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Delhi.
The complainant, accompanied by West Delhi MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat, demanded action against the Congress workers identified in a video attached to their complaint.
The affected workers include Rachna Vashishth, Rashmi Vajpayee, Roshni Shrestha, Nivedita Tiwari and Anayata Bhati.
They apprised the DCP of the allegedly indecent behaviour by Congress workers the previous day, the statement said.
Speaking to the media after submitting the complaint, MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said that the indecent behaviour displayed by Congress workers towards BJP Mahila Morcha workers clearly reflected the values and conduct they had imbibed from their leader Rahul Gandhi.