Jaipur, February 21 – Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha clashed briefly with police on Saturday while attempting to march towards the state headquarters of the Indian National Congress in Jaipur.
The BJYM workers were protesting against the Youth Congress’s bare-chested protest at the AI summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on Friday, which has drawn sharp political reactions.
The Yuva Morcha had already announced plans on Friday to surround the Congress office on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, Yuva Morcha workers gathered at Martyrs’ Memorial in Jaipur and held a protest against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Following the demonstration, they began marching on foot towards the Congress office via Sansar Chandra Road.
As the group approached the party headquarters, police set up barricades to stop them from proceeding further. When some protesters attempted to scale the barricades, a brief scuffle broke out between the workers and the police. The situation was brought under control shortly thereafter.
Yuva Morcha State President Shankar Gora criticised the Congress during the protest, accusing it of targeting the Prime Minister and acting against national interests.
On Friday evening, Yuva Morcha workers had also burned an effigy of Rahul Gandhi and raised slogans against the Congress in Jaipur.
Saturday’s march was part of the BJP youth wing’s continued protest campaign in response to the developments at the AI Summit in New Delhi.
In a statement, the Indian Youth Congress had said that the demonstration was meant to highlight concerns that “corporate interests are being prioritised over national interests” and alleged that the government’s foreign policy stance had weakened.
The group also linked the protest to economic issues such as rising prices and joblessness, claiming that young people were increasingly frustrated.
