Congress intimidated by Raje’s popularity: BJP

JAIPUR: The ruling BJP in Rajasthan on Monday said that the opposition Congress was intimidated by the popularity of chief minister Vasundhara Raje and was trying to disrupt her state wide Gaurav Yatra by using violence. Former Rajasthan BJP president and co-convener of the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra, Ashok Parnami said Congress national general secretary Ashok Gehlot was allegedly ‘frightened’ by Raje's popularity, after a few miscreants pelted stones at Raje's meeting on Saturday in Pipar town of Jodhpur division.
While Raje and other BJP leaders have accused the Congress of staging the incident, the opposition Congress has condemned the incident saying it does not believe in the politics of violence."Congress doesn't want the yatra to proceed and is trying to disrupt it through various means, including by filing writ petition in high court and then pelting stones on CM's Rath in Pipar. Parnami at a press conference said that Ashok Gehlot is afraid of CM Raje's rising popularity.
He showed videos in which a group of people were seen shouting slogans in support of Gehlot and inciting the crowd to pelt stones on Raje’s cavalcade. Congress has a strong hold in Pipar and they cannot shy away from responsibility by only condemning the incident, he added. Ten people have been arrested in connection with the incident. The BJP leader said the people arrested would reveal their identity during police interrogation.
Parnami said the people of Rajasthan have been supporting Raje's yatra, which began from Udaipur division on August 4. This is the second phase of the yatra which will be resumed from August 29 to September 2 in Jodhpur division.
Parnami said the violence indulged in by the opposition will not deter the chief minister from carrying on with the yatra and there is no change in the proposed yatra, he announced. The denial of the Congress in the incident by the leaders the BJP leader asked, “If it is not the handiwork of the Congress workers, is it then Congress hired goondas who indulged in hooliganism.”
On Saturday night, a few miscreants disrupted Raje's yatra and pelted stones during a meeting. Stones were also hurled on the chief minister's Rath in Pipar, police said. Earlier that day, a few miscreants pelted stones on health minister Kalicharan Saraf's vehicle near Khairwara town, breaking its rear windshield.