BJP-Congress Face-Off Averted as Police Stop Rival Marches in Dehradun

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday staged a protest march towards the Uttarakhand Congress headquarters in Dehradun, prompting police intervention to prevent workers of the two rival parties from coming face-to-face.

The BJP march was organised in protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's demonstration outside the Prime Minister's residence. Led by Uttarakhand BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt, BJP workers gathered at the party's Dehradun metropolitan office and marched towards the Congress headquarters, raising slogans against Gandhi and the Congress.

Anticipating a possible confrontation, police deployed barricades at Kanak Chowk and stopped the BJP procession before it could reach the Congress office. A brief scuffle reportedly broke out between BJP workers and police personnel during the intervention. The protesters later raised slogans and burnt effigies of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.

Addressing reporters, Bhatt accused the Congress of avoiding public issues and parliamentary debate while allegedly creating disruption and misleading the youth. Referring to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), he said the results of the re-conducted examination had been declared and the counselling process was underway.

Bhatt further alleged that the Congress was attempting to create an atmosphere of instability in the country and said BJP workers would expose what he termed the party's "negative politics."

Meanwhile, Congress workers also took to the streets in response to a call by Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal. Carrying party flags and banners, they marched from the Congress headquarters towards Ashley Hall and raised slogans against the BJP government.

Police stopped the Congress protesters at Ashley Hall, keeping the two groups separated and preventing a direct confrontation. The police intervention ensured that the rival demonstrations remained apart as political tensions escalated in Dehradun.