The main opposition Congress Party staged angry nationwide protests yesterday, blaming supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for throwing stones at the car of its vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Congress workers shouted slogans outside the headquarters of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi and held street protests in other states.
Gandhi was travelling to a flood-hit area in Gujarat on Friday when a mob carrying black flags threw stones at his convoy.
Although Gandhi was unhurt in the attack, the windows of his car were smashed, television channels showed.
“BJP workers threw stones at me, it hit my PSO (personal security officer). It is their style of politics, what can I say,” said Gandhi.
The Congress said it won’t be cowed down by the “cult of violence and intimidation espoused by followers of Nathuram Godse”.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Congress was a 130-year-old party that had seen many ups and downs and its leaders won’t be scared by such tactics.
“This stone could kill a human. What was the police doing? Let me say that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress won’t be intimidated by such tactics,” Sharma said as he showed a piece of rock allegedly hurled at Gandhi’s car.
“It deserves the strongest condemnation, and exposes the intent, ideology, and character of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which believe in violence, intimidation, and physical assaults on political opponents or leaders.
“It is integral to their thinking and their political philosophy and their actions.”
Nathuram Godse, a Hindu Mahasabha member and perceived close to RSS founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.
Sharma said that the BJP was using every possible means to capture power everywhere.
Blaming the state government for lack of proper security, the Congress leader said: “It cannot just wash off its hands by saying a bullet proof car was offered.” 
He said the Congress vice president had every right to go and stand in solidarity with the flood-affected people.
Gandhi, 47, has been seeking to revive the party’s fortunes after BJP ousted it from power in 2014 general elections.
Gujarat, Modi’s home state, goes to the polls in December with the BJP seeking to retain power.
“Windowpanes of Cong VP’s car broken in an organised attack by goons, security staff injured. BJP must know truth can’t be silenced,” tweeted Randeep Surjewla, a Congress spokesman.
The Congress also lodged a police complaint of “murderous assault” against four BJP workers.
Surjewala accused Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani of shielding the goons behind the attack.
“We have lodged a complaint of ‘murderous assault’ against four BJP workers, but police has not registered an FIR,” Surjewala said.
“Let’s tell them that Godsewaad did not succeed in 1948, and it won’t succeed now. It is Gandhiwaad that has prevailed and will prevail,” he said.
On the political conspiracy behind the attack, Surjewala said it has to be examined.
“There is an abject failure on the part of Rupani and his administration.”
Gandhi said he was undeterred by the attack.
“Narendra Modi ji, slogans, black flags and stones will not deter us. We will put in all our might into the service of people,” he tweeted on Friday.
Gandhi later met flood victims in Banaskantha district of Gujarat where severe monsoon flooding has killed more than 200 people so far.
Police have arrested one man and are investigating the incident.
The Palanpur unit BJP youth wing general secretary Jayesh Darji was arrested yesterday after registering an FIR, which also names three others.
One of them is Bhagwanbhai Patel, chairman of Dhanera Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC).
It is from the APMC market yard in Dhanera that the wave of protests against Gandhi started.
The police had initially refused to take the complaint from former Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia and others till a meeting between district police and senior officers.