BJP-Congress trade barbs, scuffle at Master Canteen

Bhubaneswar: State BJP and Congress workers had a face-off in Bhubaneswar with the saffron party was protesting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Lok Sabha on Hindu gods and the grand old party alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spreading hate in the name of religion.
According to sources, BJP and Congress members scuffled for more than half an hour before police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.The incident took place near Congress Bhawan at Master Canteen on Tuesday evening. While BJP members threw stones and cow dung on the poster of Rahul and even at Congress Bhawan, Congress members burnt the effigy of the Prime Minister as a mark of protest.
The incident took place when the Prime Minister was replying to the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday evening. The BJP and the Congress later engaged in a war of words.
While the Congress members said the PM is responsible for spreading hate and held him responsible for the situation in Manipur, the BJP members said Rahul has disrespected Hinduism by using Hindu gods and goddess’ pictures in the Lok Sabha inappropriately.
Congress leader Yasir Nawaz said staging a protest is a right of a common man. “It is undemocratic of BJP to stop us from protesting. Never ever had such a thing happened in the past. BJP is now in power and showing their hooliganism,” he said.
State BJP Yuva Morcha president Abhilash Panda accused Congress members of stopping them from protesting.
“It is in the nature of Congress members to resort to violence. We demand an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks,” he said.