New Delhi, Feb 21: Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday waved black flags at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at several locations, a day after a protest by Youth Congress activists triggered a political confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition.
The protests were organised by BJP workers to condemn the actions of Youth Congress members, who had staged a shirtless demonstration during an artificial intelligence summit in the national capital. The protest at the event had drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress of disrupting an important programme.
Black flag demonstrations were held at multiple points during Gandhi’s visit, with BJP workers raising slogans against the Congress and its youth wing. The protests led to brief tensions in some areas as security personnel intervened to keep demonstrators away from the Congress leader’s convoy.
The confrontation comes a day after Youth Congress members staged a dramatic protest by removing their shirts and raising slogans during the summit, in an apparent attempt to draw attention to issues they said were linked to national interests. The incident created a disruption at the venue and quickly led to a political backlash.
The BJP criticised the protest, saying the opposition party had embarrassed the country by creating a disturbance at a major event. Party leaders said the black flag demonstrations were meant to register strong opposition to the actions of the Youth Congress.
The Indian National Congress defended the protest, with party leaders accusing the BJP of attempting to divert attention from the issues raised by its youth wing. The Congress also criticised the black flag demonstrations, calling them politically motivated.
Security was tightened in areas where protests were reported, and police personnel were deployed to prevent any escalation. No major incidents of violence were reported.
The episode marks the latest escalation in tensions between the BJP and the Congress, with both parties trading accusations over the protest and its aftermath. The black flag demonstrations added to the political row that began with the Youth Congress action at the summit and continued into the following day with protests targeting Gandhi.
