Bajrang Dal activists ‘vandalise’ Congress office in MP’s Jabalpur; probe on, says SP

The FIR, registered at Kotwali police station based on Patel’s statement, has invoked IPC Sections 147 (rioting), among others. The FIR names six persons.

“We have made three or four arrests. Their identity cards will be checked to confirm whether they are Bajrang Dal members,” Vidyarthi said.

On why police were unable to control the violence, a senior officer said police personnel deputed at the protest site were “inadequate” and “did not anticipate that the protests would take place earlier”.

On Wednesday, Bajrang Dal members had announced plans for a “peaceful protest” outside the Congress office and read Hanuman Chalisa.

After the events on Thursday, the BJP hit back at Congress, accusing the party of supporting “anti-national outfits”. Lokendra Parasar, BJP’s media in-charge, told The Indian Express that Bajrang Dal “does not govern the BJP”. He said, “BJP and Bajrang Dal are separate…. If there is a legal issue, police will work that out…. If Congress talks about banning Bajrang Dal then emotions are riled up. This is a Congress conspiracy. There is anger in the whole country.”

According to the FIR, Patel had reached Patrakar Bhavan at Congress office for a meeting scheduled for 2 pm, when nearly 200 people “draped in saffron, pelting stones at the office and breaking the locks, tried to gain access”.

Videos circulating online show a mob armed with sticks and stones and carrying Bajrang Dal flags purportedly break open the lock of a shutter and enter the office. They allegedly broke concrete slabs and tore down a hoarding of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Patel claimed to have run for his life and seen the vandalism from a distance.

“They vandalized the Congress office…Weapons like sticks, rods were taken…. After vandalizing the upper floor, slogans of Bajrang Dal Zindabad and Congress Party Murdabad were being raised…they said any Congressman who comes to the office will be killed,” the FIR read.

Former MP CM Kamal Nath tweeted, “…What is even more sad is that police did not take any special action to stop the vandals. I want to know from the Chief Minister whether his government and the Bharatiya Janata Party have given up all democratic methods and have made up their mind to attack the Congress party directly after being completely uprooted by the public…”

VHP joint secretary Pradeep Gupta told The Indian Express that Bajrang Dal members were peacefully protesting when a stone was thrown at its members, which led to the escalation. “We want a fair investigation. There should be strict action against those who did this,” he said.