Rahul Gandhi in Amethi: Clashes break out between Congress, BJP workers; police lathi charge protesters

Congress and BJP workers clashed in Gauriganj town in Amethi on Tuesday, as Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited his parliamentary constituency, media reports state.

Clash between Congress and BJP workers in Amethi during Rahul Gandhi's visit pic.twitter.com/D5yebTHaq9

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 16, 2018

According to News18, police resorted to lathi charge as the clashes escalated in Amethi. BJP workers raised slogans against Rahul, questioning him over the issue of development in Amethi.  

#BREAKING - Amethi turns into a war zone: BJP and Congress workers clash. pic.twitter.com/MKuVmDBtES

— News18 (@CNNnews18) January 16, 2018

According to The Indian Express , Congress workers allegedly beat up protesters in Salon town as well. The report says that workers wearing Gandhi caps urged protesters to lift their demonstration, but after they declined, the Congress workers physically chased them away. The protesters have filed complaints at the Salon police station against these workers.

BJP supporters staged agitations against the Congress leader on Monday as well. Rahul faced protests during the first leg of his visit to Rae Bareli and Amethi, the two Lok Sabha constituencies represented by him and his mother Sonia Gandhi. Rahul is on a two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh, his first after taking over as the Congress party chief.

Some BJP workers raised slogans against the Congress president’s convoy as it was leaving in Parshderpur. According to PTI, there were heated exchanges between Congress workers and protesters. A Congress MLC from Rae Bareli, Deepak Singh and Additional SP Shekhar Singh were seen talking to each other angrily. The protesters were later on chased away from the scene. The police on Tuesday lodged two cases against Congress MLC Deepak Singh and others for allegedly misbehaving with security personnel on duty on Monday during the visit.

Rahul also faced protesters at Rajiv Gandhi Chowk in Amethi, due to which he could not garland a statue of his father. Supporters of the BJP and the Congress fought a pitched battle, giving the local police and provincial armed constabulary personnel a trying time containing them.

A local BJP leader and trader Rajesh ‘Masala’ said it was the protesters’ way to “welcome” their “missing” MP. They claimed that Rahul was not listening to the problems of the local people, ignoring health and education needs and laying foundation stones of “fake” projects.

With inputs from agencies