Mumbai, February 21 BJP workers staged a protest with black flags against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai on Saturday, calling it a response to the Youth Congress's protest at the AI Summit.
Gandhi arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the morning and travelled by road to Bhiwandi in neighboring Thane district to appear before a court in the 2014 defamation case.
A group of BJP supporters staged a protest at the Mulund toll naka and raised slogans against him.
Speaking to reporters, the protesters alleged that Gandhi consistently opposes the initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of tarnishing the country's image.
"Rahul Gandhi continuously opposes whatever the Prime Minister does, even on issues concerning the nation. The Youth Congress workers raised slogans at the AI Summit, maligning India's image. That is why we protested against him," a BJP supporter said.
The police had made elaborate security arrangements for Gandhi's visit to prevent any confrontation between workers of the ruling and Opposition parties.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sachin Sawant termed the BJP protest as "an attempt to divert attention from key national issues".
Sawant accused the ruling party of resorting to theatrics as it had no answers for the public.
He questioned the reasons behind what he termed the BJP's "surrender" before US President Donald Trump and sought clarity on matters related to financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying the party owed an explanation to the people.
Sawant also alleged that the BJP had compromised the future of farmers in Maharashtra and the country by placing their interests at stake in the trade deal with the US.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also hit out at the 'black flag' protest, calling it a "disrespectful" departure from democratic norms.
The party's Thane city chief, Manoj Pradhan, said, "Rahul Gandhi holds a constitutional post as the Leader of the Opposition in the country's highest house. It is fundamentally wrong to show black flags to him in such a manner. This is not how a democracy should function."
Gandhi raises the issues of common Indians; he is a patriot through and through, he said.