Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha earlier this week, sparking protests in his home constituency of Wayanad as well as other places across the country. Party workers held protest marches, blocked trains and roadways, and even burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
Party leaders have also announced plans to observe a day-long ‘satyagraha’ across India on Sunday in light of the recent developments. The agitation will be led by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the national capital. It will begin at 10 am and end at 5 pm.
Earlier in the day Gandhi had vowed to continue defending democracy in the country even if he is disqualified from Parliament for life or jailed. Gandhi claimed that the action against him was taken because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was «scared» of his next speech in Parliament on the Adani issue and alleged that the «whole game» was to distract people from the issue and the panic the government was feeling over the matter.
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Gandhi’s former constituency of Wayanad saw strong protests on Saturday, with many being arrested and forcibly removed from the protest sites. Members of the party’s youth and student wings also marched to the BSNL office in the area and sat on the road, effectively blocking traffic movement. An effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also burnt by Congress workers.
Similar scenes played out in other parts of the country, with hundreds of Congress activists staging demonstrations for the second consecutive day in parts of West Bengal. In the capital city of Kolkata, demonstrators blocked an arterial road, shouting slogans against the «vindictive politics» of the BJP and the saffron party’s «attempt to gag democracy». Many were also seen assembling near the Raj Bhavan gate, holding placards in hand, condemning the former party president’s disqualification.
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, Youth Congress workers decided to march to a metro station ahead of its inauguration by PM Modi. The protestors were stopped partway, near near the City Civil Court.
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In Punjab, the Chandigarh youth Congress stopped the New Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi train at the Chandigarh railway station over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.
In Maharashtra, MVA MLAs stage a silent protest outside State Assembly against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a member of Parliament.
(With inputs from agencies)
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