Congress condemns BJP’s ‘attack’ on Jammu office

Jammu, Dec 19: The Congress party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attacking its headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk, Jammu on Thursday afternoon.
However, alert Congress workers and timely intervention by the police averted a potential clash between the two sides, the party said in a statement.
“At around 5 p.m., a group of BJP activists reportedly approached the Congress headquarters, shouting slogans against the Congress party and its leadership. The activists surrounded the office and raised provocative slogans, seemingly attempting to incite a confrontation,” the party said.
In response, Congress workers immediately retaliated by raising counter-slogans and prepared to defend the office, it said, adding, “The large presence of Congress workers reportedly prompted the BJP activists to flee the scene before the situation escalated further. The police also played a crucial role in preventing a clash.”
Working president and former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand personally intervened to de-escalate tensions and instructed Congress workers to act in self-defense if faced with similar provocations.
Condemning the attack, Tara Chand described it as a “provocative and undemocratic act” by the BJP. Speaking to reporters at the site, he said, “This shameful action by the BJP reflects their frustration following large-scale protests across Jammu and the country over issues related to Amit Shah and Adani.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) also issued a statement criticizing the BJP’s actions, calling them a “cheap publicity stunt”. The JKPCC condemned the attack, terming it “shameful”, and urged BJP leadership to restrain its activists from engaging in such “provocative and undemocratic behaviour”.