Rahul Gandhi was greeted with black-flag protests by workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party when he arrived in Mulund on the outskirts of Mumbai on Saturday for a court appearance in neighbouring Thane. BJP supporters lined the route, raising slogans and showing black flags, while heavy police deployment ensured the situation remained under control and his movement was not disrupted.
The protest came a day after the BJP held nationwide demonstrations against the Indian Youth Congress for interrupting the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Youth Congress members had staged a shirtless protest at the venue, claiming that the Centre’s policies, including the proposed India-US trade deal, were against the interests of young people. The act briefly disrupted the high-profile event and drew sharp reactions from the ruling party.
Delhi Police detained several protesters and later arrested four Youth Congress leaders on charges related to unlawful assembly and creating a disturbance. The Congress criticised the action, calling it an attempt to silence dissent, while the BJP accused the opposition of politicising an international technology platform.
Rahul Gandhi’s Thane visit was in connection with an ongoing defamation case. Though the court appearance went ahead as scheduled, the protests highlighted the continuing political confrontation between the two parties, with both sides stepping up attacks over recent events and policy issues.
