Surat: Tensions flared in Surat on Saturday as BJP and Congress workers clashed following derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother at a Congress rally in Bihar. Videos circulating on social media showed BJP workers protesting outside the Congress office in Surat, with police personnel present to control the situation.

Not just in Surat, ruling party workers held widespread protests across the state. In Ahmedabad, BJP members and its youth wing staged a demonstration by burning Rahul Gandhi’s effigy near Townhall in the Ellisbridge area. BJP and Youth Morcha workers raised slogans such as “Congress Hay Hay” and “Rahul Gandhi Hay Hay” during the protest.

Ahmedabad city BJP president Prerak Shah said that the mindset of the Congress has been exposed. He added that the BJP condemns the statement made by the Congress in Bihar against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother.

Rajkot also witnessed tense face-offs between BJP and Congress workers at Zilla Panchayat Chowk, with both sides exchanging sharp slogans. In Gandhinagar, BJP workers staged a protest near GH-5 Circle and burned an effigy of Rahul Gandhi.

BJP MP from Vadodara, Dr. Hemang Joshi, condemned the incident, saying Rahul Gandhi had faced more than 50 election defeats in the last 11 years and was resorting to “cheap remarks” out of frustration. He also accused Gandhi of spreading a “vote theft” narrative to protect his party’s allies in Bihar and West Bengal.

Dr. Joshi further questioned Rahul Gandhi’s mental health, stating: “When the Election Commission asked Rahul Gandhi to prove his allegations with affidavits, he tried to evade it. I request Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi to get Rahul’s mental screening done at the Karelibaug hospital in Vadodara. This will also improve the atmosphere in Parliament.”

The controversy began after a video surfaced from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Rally’ in Darbhanga, Bihar, where a man was seen using abusive language against PM Modi and his mother from the stage. The incident, which allegedly occurred on Wednesday, sparked a political row in the poll-bound state. The accused, identified as Mohammad Rizvi alias Raza (20), was arrested by Darbhanga Police on Friday. An FIR was registered against him and others, with reports suggesting Rahul Gandhi was also named in the complaint.

The BJP has demanded an apology from Congress, with several party leaders condemning the incident. Protests extended to Delhi as BJP workers staged demonstrations outside the Congress headquarters, demanding that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi take responsibility. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva termed the remarks a “stain on democracy” and said insulting PM Modi’s late mother amounted to insulting mothers across the nation.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Naushad, the Youth Congress leader who organised the event, distanced himself from Rizvi’s comments, saying the person was an outsider and that the party did not endorse such language. BJP leaders, however, have called the remarks an insult to Gujarat and the nation, demanding strong action against Congress. DeshGujarat