New Delhi, Aug 08: Congress today strongly condemned the ransacking of its party office in Ahmedabad by the Gujarat police and arrest of leader of the opposition in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha Amarsinh Chaudhary and State PCC Chief Shankarsinh Vaghela when they tried to take out a rally there during the party-sponsored state bandh. "It is unfortunate that the Gujarat government is throttling democracy in the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi by trying to foil a peaceful agitation organised by Congress," party spokesman Satyavrata Chaturvedi told reporters. He said it was shameful that the party office in Ahmedabad was ransacked and congress office bearers "beaten up" by the police. Chaturvedi said when some Congress members in the Lok Sabha wanted to apprise Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani of the incident inside the house, he refused to respond. "This proves that Chief Minister Narendra Modi's actions are supported by the Centre," he said.

The Congress had given a call for "Gujarat bandh" to protest against the steep hike in agricultural power tariff, court fees and school and college fees.

Referring to the Supreme Court notice to Gujarat government on the NHRC petition and its directive to the state to provide adequate protection to the riot victims, Chaturvedi said it showed that the apex court felt the victims were still not safe. Bureau Report