A dispute escalated in Bihar after alleged offensive remarks were made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Congress rally. BJP leaders and supporters, led by Legislative Council member Surendra Choudhary, used a photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a footrest in protest. Choudhary justified the action, suggesting the image would also be used for other purposes. He highlighted that Rahul Gandhi himself seemed unaware of his statements, and referenced offensive words aimed at PM Modi and his late mother.
This sparked a BJP march against the offensive language used during Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Rights Yatra.’ BJP workers marched to the Congress headquarters, resulting in clashes. The opposition leader in the Lok Sabha emphasized the victory of truth. An arrest was made in Darbhanga related to the offensive comments, and the march to the Sadaqat Ashram, the state Congress headquarters, further intensified tensions.
Nitin Naveen, a state minister, led the BJP march and stated that they would not tolerate the insult of PM Modi, demanding apologies from Rahul Gandhi and his allies. Rahul Gandhi responded indirectly, highlighting that truth and non-violence would overcome falsehood and violence, and that they would continue to defend truth and the constitution.
Sachin Pilot, Congress General Secretary, condemned the offensive remarks, but disputed the connection to the Congress and the INDIA alliance. He condemned the attack on their state headquarters and hoped for government action against the culprits. He suggested that the BJP was reacting to the success of the Voter Rights Yatra.
Manoj Jha, RJD spokesperson, criticized the incident but questioned whether the BJP had apologized for similar comments by their leaders. He claimed this was a publicity stunt by the BJP.
K.C. Venugopal, Congress General Secretary (Organization), criticized the BJP for attempting to intimidate them, calling the attack on their Patna office cowardly and demanding action by the Bihar police.