Jaipur, Mar 26 (PTI) The ruling Congress in Rajasthan held “Satyagraha” protests across the state on Sunday against the BJP-led Centre over former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
In Jaipur, the protest was led by state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra at the collectorate circle. State ministers Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi and Deputy Chief Whip in the Assembly Mahendra Chaudhary also took part in the protest, among other leaders.
Similar protests were organised in other districts of the state.
In Bikaner, a swarm of bees attacked the Congress workers protesting at Gandhi Park. They rushed out of the park soon after they were attacked by the bees.
The protest in Bikaner was led by Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati.
Dotasra said the protest in Jaipur was organised from 10 am to 5 pm.
“Rahul Gandhi raised the matter of corruption in the Adani issue done in connivance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to suppress his voice, a decision was taken in haste to terminate his membership from the Lok Sabha,” he said, while describing the move as the “murder of democracy”.
“The BJP calls those anti-national who raise their voice against them. Sometimes they distort someone’s public image through social media platforms. Rahul Gandhi is a person whose grandmother and father sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country,” the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief said.
Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after a court in Gujarat’s Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. The disqualification will bar Gandhi (52), a four-time MP, from contesting polls for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction.
Dotasra said Gandhi has made it clear that he is not going to be afraid of such moves.
“The Congress will expose the scam of (industrialist Gautam) Adani and the prime minister. We are ready for this from Parliament to the streets,” he added.
Dotasra said the Congress follows the principles espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and the party will not be afraid.
PHED Minister Joshi said the intention behind disqualifying Gandhi from the Lok Sabha was to silence him but he is not going to be afraid of such moves.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Khachariyawas claimed that Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Parliament in a planned manner.
“It was a sin. The sin has been committed but its outcome will be dangerous,” he said.
Former Jaipur mayor Jyoti Khandelwal said the prime minister has been silent on the Adani issue but such a step was taken against Gandhi, who is constantly raising the voice of the people of the country.
“Satyagraha had also made the British bow down. The Modi government will also have to bow down,” she said.
Dotasra said he and the Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will visit all divisions of the state and meet party workers and members of the public to raise the issue of Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
After the divisions, the districts and blocks will be covered through such visits, he added.
Congress leaders will visit Udaipur division on March 28, Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions on March 29 and Kota and Bharatpur divisions on April 1. PTI SDA RC
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.