BJP worker injured in stone pelting by Youth Congress activists during protest in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Protest by Youth Congress workers against Delhi BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri's controversial remarks on Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led to a scuffle between Congress and BJP activists here on Tuesday, leaving a BJP worker injured in alleged stone pelting.

The incident led to a war of words between the BJP and the ruling government, though state Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud pulled up the Youth Congress workers.

During a protest called by Youth Congress to burn the effigy of Bidhuri, some of the workers suddenly marched towards the BJP office and attempted to barge into it even as few among them allegedly pelted stones on the BJP office, police said.

A BJP worker suffered injury to the head, while party leaders claimed that three persons were injured. However, police were checking video footage of what exactly happened.

After the Youth Congress activists raised slogans, BJP workers also came out from their party office and a scuffle broke out between them, with some of them hitting with sticks.

Police controlled the situation and took the protesting Youth Congress workers into preventive custody, a senior police official said, adding that based on the complaints, the police will register cases.

Later, some BJP workers went towards Gandhi Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters, in counter protest and squatted on the road.

The protesters tore banners outside the Congress office. The police dispersed them using force and took them away in police vehicles.

The offices of both Congress and BJP are located nearby at Nampally here.

Condemning the "attack" on BJP office by "Congress workers along with goondas", Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy give an explanation to people over the incident.

In a video statement, Kishan Reddy alleged that police remained mute spectators when BJP office was "attacked".

He asked the city police commissioner whether the behaviour of police is justified.

Asserting that BJP would continue to question the state's Congress government on its election promises in spite of the "attacks", the union minister said the BJP is against any physical attacks.

If BJP takes a decision under compulsion, there will be law and order issues in the state, he warned.

State Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, while condemning Bidhuri's comments, said the protest should be democratic and any attack is not justified. He also found fault with the behaviour of BJP leaders.

Condemning Bidhuri's comments in strong words, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said he spoke to CM Revanth Reddy and the PCC president and that they were not aware of the protest incident.

Both Revanth Reddy and the PCC president disapproved of any physical attacks, he told reporters in Khammam district.

BJP leaders, who seek votes in the name of Indian culture, should condemn the comments of Bidhuri, Vikramarka said.

Asserting that the Congress government upholds rule of law, he said leaders of all parties should deprecate any attacks on political party offices.

Inputs from PTI