NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh staged a protest on Wednesday at a highway in Raebareli to block Congress MP Rahul Gandhi‘s convoy, demanding an apology for alleged abusive remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s mother during Congress’ Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar.Singh and his supporters sat on dharna at the Kathwara highway while Gandhi was traveling to Harchandpur. BJP workers held placards with slogans “Rahul Go Back” and “Desh ki Maon se Maafi Maango.”The minister later claimed that Gandhi took an alternate route to reach his destination due to fear of BJP workers.“Rahul Gandhi also has a mother. He should not give anyone the right to abuse someone else’s mother. He should have condemned those who used such words for a mother. He should have said that he does not support them, that he would punish them, remove them from the party, and express regret over their mistake,” Singh told reporters.Singh added that if the Congress leader had spoken against the alleged abuse, people would have considered it appropriate. “Instead, Rahul Gandhi seems to encourage them further, as if he wants more such abusive remarks to be made against mothers. This protest in Raebareli was against that,” he said.The controversy stems from a viral video showing a 25-year-old Darbhanga resident making expletive remarks at a small podium set up by a local Congress leader in Bihar’s Darbhanga. The organizer claimed no significant party functionary was present during the incident.The person who made the comments has been arrested. The incident has led to tensions between BJP and Congress workers, resulting in physical confrontations at the opposition party’s state headquarters.Prime Minister Modi responded to the incident on September 2, expressing his deep pain over the situation. “My late mother had nothing to do with politics. What was her fault? Why was she abused?” he asked emotionally.“I may forgive them for once, but the people of this country have never brooked any insult to one’s mother. It is now the duty of every son of Bihar to hold the RJD-Congress combine accountable for their conduct. In every town and street, wherever their leaders go, they must get the message loud and clear that insult to mothers and sisters will not be tolerated,” Modi stated.