In Lucknow,Cong takes RSS head on

The Youth Congress move is believed to be retaliation to an incident in Allahabad Thursday night when some men,believed to be from the RSS and the BJP,had forced their way into state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s residence in Allahabad,but were driven out before they could inflict any damage.

The Youth Congress workers,led by IYC General Secretary Virendra Rathore and Yogesh Dixit,in-charge of the Youth Congress in UP’s central zone,arrived at the RSS office at Keshav Bhawan in Model House area in three buses.

The RSS workers who,it seems,had an inkling of the Youth Congress plan,had collected brickbats which they threw at the intruders. And yet the Youth Congress activists barged into the premises,although some of them suffered injuries in the process.

As the RSS men came out to resist the Youth Congress workers,a scuffle broke out. The police which arrived at the spot before the situation could get worse chased away the Youth Congress workers.

Rathore said they wanted to hold a protest outside the RSS office,but “they (RSS workers) threw stones and also brandished weapons”. The Youth Congress workers got agitated and spontaneously decided to burn the effigy inside the premises,he said.

Senior RSS leader Amarnath denounced the attack and said the Congress was trying to divert attention from the issue of corruption.

He said the Youth Congress attack was not a reaction to Sudarshan’s remarks,but a planned attack. “The Congressmen held their protest at

Shaheed Smarak and the Keshav Bhawan office is not in the vicinity. We don’t want to get violent but we will have to defend ourselves,” said Amarnath.

Earlier in the day,the police used water cannons to prevent Congress workers,led by Rita Bahuguna Joshi,from marching to the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow to hold a demonstration. Later,more than 250 Congress workers were arrested for violating prohibitory orders.

Congress leaders and workers gathered at Shaheed Smarak,held a dharna and burnt an effigy of Sudarshan. In her speech,Joshi appealed to the policemen that they should be allowed to march to the Vidhan Sabha and hold a peaceful protest,which was not against the state government. But the policemen blocked their way.

After the Congressmen crossed the first barrier,the police swung into action and opened up the water cannons,making it difficult for them to proceed. Some Congress workers were injured in the melee and two of them had to be hospitalised.

Congress workers and leaders,including Joshi,MP Jagdambika Pal,and former Chief Minister Ram Naresh Yadav,were arrested and taken to the police lines. All of them were released after about an hour.

The state unit of the party has sent out instructions to all district units to continue to organise protests down to the block and panchayat level until Sudarshan apologises.

“The RSS claims to be saviour of Hindu culture and heritage,but they make such irresponsible comments,” said Rita Bahuguna Joshi. She said the RSS should be banned because its men have been found involved in the Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express blasts and “they have the blood of Mahatma Gandhi on their hands”.

Thursday night,some men riding motorcycles had gone to Joshi’s residence in Allahabad,forced their way in and hurled stones at the building before they were driven away by servants. The incident reportedly took place after Congressmen burnt an effigy of Sudarshan near the RSS office in Civil Lines. Since Rita Joshi was in Lucknow,her brother Shekhar Bahuguna lodged an FIR.

RSS workers lodged another FIR,alleging that Congress workers,led by Allahabad Mayor Chaudhary Jitendra Nath Singh,had attacked their workers outside their office. Shekhar said,“There were about 30 people who barged in and started pelting stones. They were shouting slogans in favour of the BJP and against the Congress. I called the police,but before the police arrived they had fled.” He added,“Within half an hour,the BJP workers lead by their leader Narendra Singh Gaur started burning posters and banners put up by the Congress on the 125th anniversary of the party at Civil Lines.”