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BJP itself behind attack on mayor, senior leader in Chandigarh: Congress
Chandigarh Congress president says an honest investigation by police will reveal that the party itself orchestrated the attack on July 17
Upping the ante against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the recent imposition of prohibitory orders on mass assembly across the city, the Congress has blamed thesaffron fold itself for the attack on the city mayor and a senior BJP leader at the Sector 48 motor market on July 17.
Speaking at a press conference in Sector 27 here on Wednesday, Congress city chief Subhash Chawla said, “If an honest investigation is done by the police, it will show that it was the BJP that perpetrated the attack.”
Chawla alleged that the attack was carried out to justify the imposition of Section 144 prohibitory orders in the entire city: “Just four months before the municipal corporation (MC) elections, the BJP is attempting to scuttle our protests.”
Slamming the UT administration, Chawla said, “The administration is working entirely under the pressure of the BJP that blamed the police for the attack. So for hiding its own shortcomings, the administration has imposed a blanket ban on protests. We request the administration to withdraw these orders at the earliest.”
This is the latest in a war of words between the two major political parties after city mayor Ravi Kant Sharma and senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon had a narrow escape when their vehicles were attacked with rods and stones allegedly by anti-farm-laws protesters in Sector 48.
On their part, the BJP leaders alleged that Congress party workers were present at the protest when the incident took place. BJP has also highlighted a viral video from a night before the incident alleging it included Congress workers calling for attacks on BJP leaders.
Stating that the Congress would continue with its protests, Chawla said, “We will find new ways to protest, use social media and mainstream media for it.”
Party’s chief spokesperson HS Lucky said, “Against our earlier protests, BJP had got multiple FIRs registered against our party workers.”
Stating that the BJP was trying to hide its own failures, Congress councillor and leader of opposition in MC Devinder Singh Babla said, “People are still getting hiked water bills and overcharged garbage collection bills. If hiked bills are issued next month too, I will sit on a fast against the BJP.”
