<p>Bajrang Dal workers stuck posters at the Gujarat Congress headquarters here on Friday, which read the party office has been 'renamed' as 'Haj House', in an act of protest against a senior leader's comment on minorities.</p>.<p>The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a sister organisation of the Bajrang Dal, said its workers carried out the act early in the morning to register their protest against Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor's recent statement regarding minorities.</p>.<p>However, the Congress hit out at the right-wing outfit, saying its action amounted to an attack on the opposition party's office and it is planning to lodge a police complaint.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read—<a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/cong-petition-to-disqualify-mlas-may-take-decision-before-monsoon-session-says-hp-assembly-speaker-1129062.html" target="_blank">Cong petition to disqualify MLAs: May take decision before monsoon session, says HP Assembly speaker</a></strong></p>.<p>Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said the ruling BJP had "twisted" Thakor's statement.</p>.<p>Thakor, addressing party workers on Wednesday, had endorsed former prime minister Manmohan Singh's views that minorities must have the first claim on the resources of the country and said the Congress will not deviate from this ideology even if it faces defeat in elections.</p>.<p>Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi condemned the Bajrang Dal's “attack” on the party's state headquarters - Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan - located in the Paldi area of the city, saying these youths are “disillusioned”.</p>.<p>He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of sponsoring “hooliganism”. A video shared by the VHP showed the protesters also writing “Haj House” on the walls of the party office using spray colours and defacing the photos of various Congress leaders on the banners put up in the premises.</p>.<p>The VHP accused Thakor of engaging in politics of appeasement at a time when Assembly polls in Gujarat are just a few months away.</p>.<p>“The Gujarat Congress president had said minorities have the first claim on the country's resources.</p>.<p>This party talks about secularism and equality on one hand and then indulges in appeasement politics for votes. We are against this religion-centric politics because it creates divisions in the society. This country belongs to all the 135 crore citizens,” Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput said.</p>.<p>“To register our protest, nearly 20 Bajrang Dal activists renamed the state Congress headquarters as 'Haj House' by pasting posters inside and outside the building early in the morning. Since the main door was locked, we pasted a poster on the main door also, declaring that Thakor has renamed the building as 'Haj House',” he said.</p>.<p>Since it was done at around 5 am, nobody except a security guard was present at the party office, Rajput added. However, the Congress claimed Thakor's statement has been taken out of context. "The BJP had deliberately twisted Thakor's statement.</p>.<p>We have always believed the country's resources belong to the downtrodden, common taxpayers, women, youths and poor citizens, not some robbers. If the BJP was so worried about India's resources, then why did the party never tried to bring back Vijay Malya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and other such people (businessmen who are facing cases, but have left India), " said Modhwadia. State Congress spokesperson Doshi said the party is planning to lodge a complaint of trespassing against the protesters.</p>.<p>“These activists were sent by the BJP to create an issue out of a non-issue. This is hooliganism by BJP-sponsored people. These activists are disillusioned. Why did they not throw black ink on the faces of BJP ministers for the mismanagement during Covide-19 or when the question papers of competitive exams got leaked?” asked Doshi.</p>.<p>The BJP had on Wednesday taken strong exception to Thakor's remark saying the Congress is known for indulging in politics of dividing people to get votes. "Thakor's statement clearly tells us that the Congress believes in dividing people on religious lines and getting votes through appeasement politics. Since India's independence, the Congress has done nothing but to divide people to get votes," said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas.</p>
<p>Bajrang Dal workers stuck posters at the Gujarat Congress headquarters here on Friday, which read the party office has been 'renamed' as 'Haj House', in an act of protest against a senior leader's comment on minorities.</p>.<p>The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a sister organisation of the Bajrang Dal, said its workers carried out the act early in the morning to register their protest against Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor's recent statement regarding minorities.</p>.<p>However, the Congress hit out at the right-wing outfit, saying its action amounted to an attack on the opposition party's office and it is planning to lodge a police complaint.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read—<a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/cong-petition-to-disqualify-mlas-may-take-decision-before-monsoon-session-says-hp-assembly-speaker-1129062.html" target="_blank">Cong petition to disqualify MLAs: May take decision before monsoon session, says HP Assembly speaker</a></strong></p>.<p>Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said the ruling BJP had "twisted" Thakor's statement.</p>.<p>Thakor, addressing party workers on Wednesday, had endorsed former prime minister Manmohan Singh's views that minorities must have the first claim on the resources of the country and said the Congress will not deviate from this ideology even if it faces defeat in elections.</p>.<p>Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi condemned the Bajrang Dal's “attack” on the party's state headquarters - Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan - located in the Paldi area of the city, saying these youths are “disillusioned”.</p>.<p>He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of sponsoring “hooliganism”. A video shared by the VHP showed the protesters also writing “Haj House” on the walls of the party office using spray colours and defacing the photos of various Congress leaders on the banners put up in the premises.</p>.<p>The VHP accused Thakor of engaging in politics of appeasement at a time when Assembly polls in Gujarat are just a few months away.</p>.<p>“The Gujarat Congress president had said minorities have the first claim on the country's resources.</p>.<p>This party talks about secularism and equality on one hand and then indulges in appeasement politics for votes. We are against this religion-centric politics because it creates divisions in the society. This country belongs to all the 135 crore citizens,” Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput said.</p>.<p>“To register our protest, nearly 20 Bajrang Dal activists renamed the state Congress headquarters as 'Haj House' by pasting posters inside and outside the building early in the morning. Since the main door was locked, we pasted a poster on the main door also, declaring that Thakor has renamed the building as 'Haj House',” he said.</p>.<p>Since it was done at around 5 am, nobody except a security guard was present at the party office, Rajput added. However, the Congress claimed Thakor's statement has been taken out of context. "The BJP had deliberately twisted Thakor's statement.</p>.<p>We have always believed the country's resources belong to the downtrodden, common taxpayers, women, youths and poor citizens, not some robbers. If the BJP was so worried about India's resources, then why did the party never tried to bring back Vijay Malya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and other such people (businessmen who are facing cases, but have left India), " said Modhwadia. State Congress spokesperson Doshi said the party is planning to lodge a complaint of trespassing against the protesters.</p>.<p>“These activists were sent by the BJP to create an issue out of a non-issue. This is hooliganism by BJP-sponsored people. These activists are disillusioned. Why did they not throw black ink on the faces of BJP ministers for the mismanagement during Covide-19 or when the question papers of competitive exams got leaked?” asked Doshi.</p>.<p>The BJP had on Wednesday taken strong exception to Thakor's remark saying the Congress is known for indulging in politics of dividing people to get votes. "Thakor's statement clearly tells us that the Congress believes in dividing people on religious lines and getting votes through appeasement politics. Since India's independence, the Congress has done nothing but to divide people to get votes," said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas.</p>