NEW DELHI : The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister’s residence. While Congress leaders and workers were angry over the police “high-handedness” and “ill-treatment” of party leaders, who were detained and later released on Tuesday night, the BJP protested against what it said was “unruly and anarchist behaviour” of Gandhi and opposition leaders. Backing the protesting students, Gandhi on Wednesday demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over examination irregularities, an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the violence on Monday, action against those involved in assaulting students and education reforms. Leaders and workers of both parties, led by their state chiefs at many places, tried to march to each other’s offices but were stopped by police, which detained many of them. In Telangana capital Hyderabad, two persons, including a woman police constable, were injured following violent clashes between the cadres of the BJP and ruling Congress near the saffron party’s state headquarters. The confrontation began when the police intercepted a group of Congress workers and party MLC Venkat Balmoor as they marched towards the BJP office in response to an attempt by some saffron party leaders and members to march towards the state Congress office. In Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Congress and BJP workers clashed as they came face to face during their protests, triggering tension. Both parties accused each other of violence and provocation. Workers of the BJP and the Congress came to blows in Patna when cadres of the ruling party took out a procession, accusing the opposition of unleashing “anarchy”. The BJP march, led by state president Sanjay Saraogi, proceeded to the gates of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) headquarters at Sadaqat Ashram, with party workers carrying posters and banners against Gandhi. Police intervened after Congress workers armed with bamboo sticks confronted the BJP procession, leading to a clash. Several persons from both sides were seen bleeding profusely. However, there was no official word on the number of persons who were injured. The BJP and Congress battled on the streets as students and other parties held protests at many places on Wednesday in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s stir, including in Patna which witnessed a pitched battle between hundreds of student activists and the police near the state assembly. Members of both Houses of the legislature, who were attending the Monsoon session, were locked inside as the administration ordered sealing of the assembly premises after a swarm of protesters, most of them owing allegiance to AISA, the student wing of CPI(ML) Liberation, entered the restricted zone. BJP and Congress workers also came face-to-face at Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu near J-K Congress’ headquarters, prompting massive police deployment and barricading. A confrontation between the two parties was seen during a protest outside the residence of MP from Jalna (Madhya Pradesh) and Congress leader Kalyan Kale. On receiving information about the BJP protest, Congress workers rushed to the MP’s office and staged a counter-protest. Activists from both parties exchanged slogans, leading to a tense atmosphere for some time, police said. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav and several party leaders were detained during their protest in the national capital. In Maharashtra, Congress leaders led by state president Harshwardhan Sapkal were detained, forcibly evicted and bundled into police vans during a march towards the Maharashtra BJP office in Mumbai. Sapkal alleged that the Narendra Modi government had undermined democratic values and failed to address recurring examination irregularities, including NEET paper leak. Sapkal alleged that the treatment meted out to Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders during the protest amounted to an insult not only to the Leader of Opposition but to students across the country. He demanded that PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologise over the incident. Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam, who led the party’s march in south Mumbai, demanded that Rahul Gandhi make his passport details public, alleging the opposition leader had met “enemies” of India during his foreign visits and was determined to create chaos in the country. In Bengaluru, the Congress workers staged a protest outside the BJP state office. The Karnataka BJP took out a counter-protest march towards the Congress office against the ruling party’s demonstration near the BJP headquarters at Malleshwaram in the city. The Shiv Sena (UBT) held protests in different parts of Mumbai, including outside its headquarters, to press for its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over examination irregularities. This was the third consecutive day of protests by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Opposition outfit, which has announced open support to the CJP. A large number of BJP leaders and workers, led by Rajasthan unit president Madan Rathore, took out a march to the Congress office in Jaipur. Rathore said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s dharna was unacceptable and said it was a childish act. BJP leaders and workers, including Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, staged a sit-in protest in Imphal against Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of politicising a students’ issue. The protesters gathered outside the BJP state office holding banners that read, “Stop sponsored anarchy, stop manufactured chaos”, and accused the Congress of creating disorder. The Uttar Pradesh units of BJP and Congress also held separate protests in Lucknow over the dharna by opposition leaders outside the prime minister’s residence. The BJP marched to gherao the Congress office in Mall Avenue. The Congress, too, set out on a march to gherao the CM’s residence, claiming ill-treatment of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. Due to heavy deployment of the police force, neither the BJP could reach the Congress office nor could the Congress reach the CM’s residence at 5, Kalidas Marg. (Source: PTI)
