About Us Contact us Kannada

Malda (WB), Jan 31: The rear windscreen of a car carrying Rahul Gandhi was damaged during the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', with West Bengal unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleging that the vehicle was "pelted with stones" in Malda district, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed the incident took place in adjoining Bihar.

The Congress, on its official X handle, however, said the window pane was damaged when sudden brakes had to be applied due to a woman coming in front of the vehicle in Malda.

However, Gandhi remained unharmed in the incident. Television footage showed him inspecting the damaged window pane after arriving at a designated halt.

The state Congress claimed the "attack" took place in Malda's Harishchandrapur area as the yatra re-entered West Bengal from Bihar.

"The rear window pane of the vehicle in which Rahul Gandhi was travelling was smashed after being pelted with stones... this is unacceptable. As the yatra entered Malda and was moving through Harishchandrapur, a stone was thrown at the car," Chowdhury remarked.

Speaking at a programme in neighbouring Murshidabad district, Banerjee said the incident took place in "Katihar area in Bihar, bordering West Bengal".

"I learnt that Rahul Gandhi's car was pelted with stones. I checked what exactly happened and found that the incident occurred in Katihar, not in West Bengal. The car entered West Bengal with the glass already broken I condemn the attack. This is nothing but a drama," Banerjee said.

The Congress, in a post on its official X handle, stated that the incident did happen in Malda but because brakes had to be applied due to a woman coming in front of the vehicle.

"A huge crowd had come to meet Rahul ji in Malda, West Bengal. In this crowd, a woman suddenly came in front of Rahul ji's car to meet him, due to which the brakes were suddenly applied. Then the glass of the car broke due to the rope used in the security circle," the post read.

"People's leader Rahul Gandhi is fighting for justice against the injustice being done to the people. The public is with them, the public is keeping them safe," it added.

A police officer in Malda district said that the matter is being investigated.

"As per initial reports, the window pane was damaged in Bihar when the car was entering West Bengal. We don't have reports of any such incident taking place after the yatra entered West Bengal," the officer added.

Incidentally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present in Malda district this morning to participate in government distribution programmes.

Chowdhury raised questions about security arrangements for Rahul Gandhi, who is entitled to Z+ security cover.

"What were the police doing? He gets Z+ security, how come his vehicle was attacked? We have been facing such behaviour since the yatra entered Bengal on January 25 in Cooch Behar. From not allowing permission to pelting stones, we have faced everything. We condemn it," he said.

"You have to understand who might be behind this incident. I can't say who threw the stone from behind," Chowdhury added.

He said the Congress faced obstacles in West Bengal, ruled by TMC which is an ally at the national level, such as obtaining permission for public meetings and lodging arrangements in Jalpaiguri, Malda and Murshidabad districts akin to the hurdles encountered in BJP-ruled Assam and Manipur during the yatra.

However, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh refused to link the incident with the TMC or the state government.

"Our party national president Mallikarjun Kharge, in his letter to Mamata Banerjee, had stated that there might be certain miscreants who would try to tarnish the image of the state government. There will be no compromise on Rahul Gandhi's safety. The yatra will continue," Ramesh said.

Kharge had previously written to Mamata Banerjee seeking assurances of the yatra's safe passage through West Bengal.

A day before the yatra was scheduled to enter West Bengal last week, Banerjee had announced that the TMC would contest the Lok Sabha polls in the state alone.

While the CPI(M), Congress, and TMC form part of the 27-party opposition bloc INDIA, in West Bengal, the grand old party has aligned with the CPI(M) against TMC and BJP.

The TMC, which has opted to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone, has stayed away from the yatra.

West Bengal's ruling TMC, however, claimed that Congress activists had pelted the vehicle with stones to show TMC in poor light.

"Police must investigate the role of state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. We know he is against the alliance of TMC and Congress in West Bengal. Maybe some Congress activists are behind this stone-pelting incident to paint us in a poor light before Rahul Gandhi," TMC spokesperson Debanghsu Bhattacharya said.

The CPI(M) and the BJP also condemned the incident.

"This shows that democracy has ceased to exist in West Bengal. If the vehicle of a senior leader like Rahul Gandhi can be attacked, it only reflects the lawless situation in the state," CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty remarked.

The BJP criticised the incident, accusing the TMC of displaying "authoritarianism" towards the Congress, its ally at the national level.

"Does the TMC own West Bengal that it will decide who will hold a rally and who will not? We have been facing this for a long time. Our party president JP Nadda's vehicle was attacked in South 24 Parganas district in December 2020," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya stated.

The incident revived memories of attack on Nadda's vehicle during the run-up to the 2021 assembly polls.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.

Comments

Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.

According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.

The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.

ALSO READ: Cong candidate who moved Kerala HC for name reinstatement in voter list, wins

Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.

"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.

He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.

Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.

LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.

According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.

"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.

He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.

AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.

"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.

Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.

"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.

Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.

"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.

He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.

Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.

"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.

On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.

"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.

Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.

He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.

Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.

"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.

Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.

"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.

CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.

"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.

Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.

"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.

Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.

"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.

All Stories

'Sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi': Mamata orders probe over mismanagement at Kolkata event
'Sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi': Mamata orders probe over mismanagement at Kolkata event

Stating that she was shocked and deeply disturbed by the "mismanagement" at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident.
UP: Girl kidnapped, raped multiple times over 25 days; accused held
UP: Girl kidnapped, raped multiple times over 25 days; accused held

A man was arrested here for allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old girl and taking her to Mumbai and Pune, where he raped her multiple times for around 25 days, police said on Saturday.
Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping

 The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".

Copyright © 2025. Vartha Bharati. All rights reserved