Rahul Gandhi targets BJP as Padmaavat protesters attack school bus in Gurugram

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that there `will never be a cause big enough to justify violence against children`.

Hours after group of men protesting the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat attacked a school bus in Gurugram, Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the ruling party of “setting our entire country on fire”.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress president said that there “will never be a cause big enough to justify violence against children”. “Violence and hatred are the weapons of the weak,” said the Gandhi scion.

On Wednesday, a school bus carrying over a dozen children and teachers was attacked in Gurugram by those protesting against the release of the controversial film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

The students and staff of GD Goenka World School were on their way back home at around 3 pm when a group of protesters started pelting stones on the bus. They saved themselves by hiding between the seats. The driver reportedly drove the bus away from the attackers and parked it at a safe place.

Not just Gurgaon, but violent protests have been continuing in many states including Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to the situation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also attacked the government on Wednesday, saying it was bad for flow of investment and job creation in the country. 

Kejriwal tweeted that there must be no expectation for investments to flow in if entire machinery, including Central government, state governments and Supreme Court, cannot ensure the release of one movie.

According to the Delhi Chief Minister, even local investors would feel hesitant, adding that it is not good for “already dwindling economy”. He added that the scenario was bad for job creation in the country.

He tweeted, “If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not gud for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs”.

The film, which was initially slated to hit theatres on December 1, 2017, has already been given go-ahead by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The censor board had formed a panel of historians, academicians and members of royal family to take a decision on the film. The Supreme Court also rejected pleas against the release of the film, saying there was no reason to ban a film that was already certified by censor board.