Jharkhand working Cong president Tirkey justifies ‘beat up BJP workers’ remark: 'Didn't take anyone's name'

Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey on Tuesday justified his ‘thrash BJP workers if needed’ statement.

Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey on Tuesday justified his ‘thrash BJP workers if needed’ statement. Tirkey said that he did not take any worker's name and that he meant “thrashing them politically”.

Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey

“I have said it but did not take anyone's name. BJP filed a PIL against me but the charges against me could not be proven. I spoke about thrashing them politically,” Tirkey told news agency ANI.

On Monday, the state Congress working president, while addressing a protest organized by the ruling UPA near Raj Bhavan against the alleged misuse of central agencies and constitutional bodies - urged party supporters to expose the BJP conspiracy to destabilize the Hemant Soren government and asked them to even “thrash them” if required.

“This is not a normal protest or an election rally. Go back home and expose the design and conspiracy of the BJP to bring down the government which was elected with a thumping majority. If required, also beat up the BJP workers. Now people will say I am using unparliamentary language. But I am not concerned,” he said.

BJP has reacted sharply to the statement. The former chief minister and national vice president of BJP Raghubar Das said his party workers will not be deterred by threats or the use of violence.

“First they engage in corrupt practices and then incite people to resort to violence. Congress does not know the stuff BJP workers are made of. Violence in Bengal and Kerala could not deter BJP workers. BJP workers no longer take such things lying down. We also know to reply back. Didn’t even touch anyone by mistake,” he wrote on Twitter.

Das also wrote to governor Ramesh Bais urging his intervention against such remarks.