Assam BJP up in arms against Rahul Gandhi’s alleged misconduct, demand apology

Guwahati, Dec 21: The Assam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a protest march in Guwahati on Saturday, condemning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s alleged misconduct towards BJP MP from Nagaland, Phangnon Konyak, during a protest outside Parliament.

The march, which began from Latasil and concluded at Judges Field, saw a large gathering, particularly women supporters, who carried placards and chanted slogans such as “Go Back, Rahul Gandhi” and “Go Back, Congress”.

“The way Rahul Gandhi showed such behaviour towards a woman is totally unacceptable, which is why we are protesting. Through this protest, we want to convey the message that Konyak is not alone; we totally support her,” said Pallab Lochan Das, General Secretary of BJP Assam.

The protest was part of a nationwide BJP demonstration against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) for his alleged inappropriate behaviour towards Konyak during simultaneous protests held by both parties outside the Parliament.

Konyak had accused Gandhi of misbehaving with her while she was holding a placard during the protests. The BJP expressed strong support for Konyak, demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi and justice for the incident.

“We want Rahul Gandhi to apologise for his behaviour and want justice regarding this matter,” added Lochan Das.

Following the incident on Thursday, Konyak wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, seeking protection and expressing that her dignity and self-esteem had been hurt by the Congress leader.

In her letter, Konyak highlighted her status as a member of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and a woman, stating, “I seek your protection.”

Konyak further described the situation in a statement, "I was standing just below the staircase of Makar Dwaar with a placard in my hand. The Security Personnel had cordoned and created a passage to the entrance right for the moment of Hon'ble MP's of other parties. Suddenly, the Leader of the Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji along-with other party members came in front of me despite there being a passage created for them.  "He misbehaved with me in a loud voice and his physical proximity to me was so close that I, being a lady member, felt extremely uncomfortable."