Bengaluru: Congress workers staged a protest and held a symbolic effigy-burning demonstration in Bengaluru on Tuesday, condemning the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning an incident in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani.
The protesters alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had insulted citizens and Dalit leaders by carrying out a “purification” exercise at the venue where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had delivered a speech in Haldwani.
They condemned the FIR against Rahul Gandhi for raising his voice against the alleged incident and accused the BJP-led Centre and Uttarakhand governments of attempting to undermine democracy and the Constitution.
The protesters alleged that democracy and constitutional values were being “murdered” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged authoritarian rule.
They asked why action was not taken against those who allegedly insulted Dalits and instead an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi for raising the issue.
They said the Constitution gives every citizen the right to question the government and hold those in power accountable.
However, they alleged that the BJP government was attempting to take away rights guaranteed by the Constitution drafted under the leadership of B.R. Ambedkar.
The Congress workers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case registered against Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the FIR amounted to an attempt to suppress the rights of citizens to question the Union and Uttarakhand governments.
They alleged that the BJP government was indulging in “politics of hatred” over the Haldwani incident and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami take moral responsibility, apologise and step down.
The protesters also alleged that the Union and Uttarakhand governments had failed to provide an adequate response to Rahul Gandhi’s questions and accused it of curbing citizens’ democratic rights.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) General Secretary S. Manohar and KPCC spokesperson M. Lakshman participated in the protest along with A. Anand, Prakash, Parisara Ramakrishna, Umesh, Puttaraju, Kushal Gowda, Sunkadakatte Naveen, Madhavahanur, Sai Naveen, Kishore and Shahin Sharief.
(IANS)
