‘Violence Cannot Stand Before Non-Violence’

As the Voter Adhikar Yatra enters its final phase, the Congress party has faced a violent attack on its Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) headquarters, the historic Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, on 29 August. The incident, involving a large group of BJP workers wielding saffron flags and accompanied by some police officers, saw clashes with Congress supporters, stone-pelting, gate-breaking, and vandalism of the premises. Congress leaders have condemned the attack, calling it a desperate and cowardly act aimed at intimidating their movement.

The attack came just a day after the BJP accused the Congress of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga. In response, the Congress issued a statement asserting, “Violence can never stand before non-violence. We are raising our voice against vote theft and electoral fraud, and our yatra is receiving overwhelming support from people across Bihar. This has left the BJP rattled. In panic, BJP sent its goons and MLAs to attack the Bihar Pradesh Congress office, where our workers were assaulted.”

Rahul Gandhi, who has been leading the statewide yatra alongside RJD leader and apparent chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, reiterated the party’s commitment to non-violence and truth. He said, “Truth and non-violence shall prevail, untruth and violence cannot stand before them. Beat and break as much as you want — we will continue to protect truth and the Constitution. Satyameva Jayate.”

K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary (organisation), also condemned the attack on social media, writing, “The attack on our Bihar PCC Office Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, led by a sitting cabinet minister and other BJP leaders, is an act of cowardice and will not deter us from continuing to expose the massive Vote Chori being carried out in the name of SIR.”

Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot addressed the media after the incident, expressing his dismay: “What happened in Patna is unacceptable. The way the opposition is being intimidated and threatened will never be tolerated. We strongly condemn this attack.”

Sadaqat Ashram itself holds deep historical significance. Established in 1921 by Maulana Mazharul Haque, the Ashram’s land was donated to the nationalist movement. It later became the residence of Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, who spent his final years there. In the 1970s, Jayaprakash Narayan launched his Sampurna Kranti movement against the Emergency from this very Ashram. The attack on such a symbolic site has added to the outrage among Congress leaders and supporters.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Police has arrested Mohammad Rizvi, alias Raza, a 20-year-old youth from Darbhanga, accused of abusing the Prime Minister during the Darbhanga rally. A case was registered on the complaint of BJP’s district president Aditya Narayan Choudhary. Mohammad Naushad, one of the event organisers, issued a public apology in a video message, admitting that an individual on stage used expletives against PM Modi and his late mother. “I condemn the incident and offer an apology,” Naushad said.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera suggested that the violence was part of a deliberate strategy by the BJP to disrupt the yatra. He remarked, “It is the BJP toolkit at work to disrupt the Yatra, for why would the Congress create a problem for the INDIA bloc’s own campaign, after all.”

Similar attacks on Congress offices were reported in Kolkata, where BJP workers defaced and burned posters and banners in the early morning hours while the premises were unoccupied. West Bengal Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar posted a video of the incident and wrote, “This morning, BJP in West Bengal has once again proven that it is a party of cowardice and hooligans… I challenge BJP to protest on the streets and go amongst the people and state that BJP has not committed any election fraud.” Like Hussain, Sarkar called for the local police to register cases of vandalism against the culprits.

The political atmosphere remains charged as Rahul Gandhi has vowed to bring out more evidence of the BJP’s alleged vote chori in the coming six months. His statement signals that the Congress intends to continue its campaign against what it calls electoral fraud despite the violent attempts to intimidate its workers.

The attack on the Sadaqat Ashram has intensified the political battle in Bihar, with Congress leaders condemning the violence and reaffirming their commitment to non-violence and electoral transparency.