Next Story
Newszop

“Violence can never stand before non-violence”: Congress to BJP attack on party office

Send Push
National Heraldpublisher-detail-arrow
29th August, 2025 16:11 IST

As the Voter Adhikar Yatra enters its final phase, the Congress on 29 August, Friday, put out a series of sharp retorts to the BJP workers’ attack on its state headquarters, the historic Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.

In video shared by party leaders, a large group of BJP workers with their saffron jhandas — with a few police officers interspersed — can be seen clashing with flag-bearing Congress supporters, pelting stones, breaking open the gates and rushing in to vandalise the premises.

The Congress has claimed its workers were beaten up during the incident.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent attack on our Bihar Pradesh Congress office, Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, led by a sitting BJP cabinet minister and leaders,” said Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, calling it a “despicable” and “desperate act by a desperate BJP”.

The attack came a day after the BJP accused the Congress of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga.

“Violence can never stand before non-violence. We are raising our voice against vote theft and electoral fraud, and our yatra is receiving overwhelming support from people across Bihar. This has left the BJP rattled. In panic, BJP sent its goons and MLAs to attack the Bihar Pradesh Congress office, where our workers were assaulted,” the Congress said in a statement.

The party further added, “Narendra Modi and BJP should remember that we will not be intimidated by such cowardly attacks. We will continue to expose your attempts at vote theft and resist your conspiracy to end the Constitution. Satyameva jayate.”

"Truth and non-violence shall prevail, untruth and violence cannot stand before them. Beat and break as much as you want — we will continue to protect truth and the Constitution. Satyameva Jayate," reiterated Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who has been leading the statewide Vote Adhikar Yatra through Bihar beside RJD leader and apparent chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav.

Rahul Gandhi highlights scale of error as Bihar village listed as single household

"The attack on our Bihar PCC Office Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, led by a sitting cabinet minister and other BJP leaders, is an act of cowardice and will not deter us from continuing to expose the massive Vote Chori being carried out in the name of SIR," wrote party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal on X.

Addressing the media after the incident, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot condemned the violence: “What happened in Patna is unacceptable. The way the opposition is being intimidated and threatened will never be tolerated. We strongly condemn this attack.”

Sadaqat Ashram, located on the banks of the Ganga in Patna, holds deep historical significance. Established by Maulana Mazharul Haque in 1921, the Ashram’s land was donated to the nationalist movement. It later became the residence of Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, who spent his final years there.

Then, in the 1970s, Jayaprakash Narayan launched his Sampurna Kranti movement against the Emergency from this very Ashram.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Police on 29 August, Friday, found time to arrest the youth accused of abusing the Prime Minister during the Darbhanga rally — though they could not muster the numbers to contain the BJP vandalism.

Officials identified the youth as Mohammad Rizvi, alias Raza (20), a resident of the Singhwara locality in Darbhanga. A case has been registered on the complaint of BJP’s district president Aditya Narayan Choudhary.

One of the organisers, Mohammad Naushad, has issued a public apology. In a video message, he admitted that an individual on stage used expletives against PM Modi and his late mother. “I condemn the incident and offer an apology,” Naushad said. 

Pawan Khera, meanwhile, suggested it was the “BJP toolkit” at work to disrupt the Yatra, for why would the Congress create a problem for the INDIA bloc’s own campaign, after all.

Earlier in the day, similar attacks were seen on the Congress’ party attack in Kolkata as well, with lotus-brandishing BJP workers defacing and burning posters and banners in the early morning hours while it was unoccupied by party workers.

State president Subhankar Sarkar posted a video of the incident and wrote, "This morning BJP in West Bengal has once again proven that it is a party of cowardice and hooligans... I challenge BJP to protest on the streets and go amongst the people and state that BJP has not committed any election fraud."

Like Hussain, Sarkar too called for the local police to register cases of vandalism against the culprits.

Notably, yesterday Rahul Gandhi had vowed to bring out more evidence of the BJP’s vote chori in the next 6 months.

Will expose more ‘vote chori’ by BJP in 6 months: Rahul Gandhi

You may also like

NewsPointGenZNewsPointVideosNewsPointGamesNewsPointCricket
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now