Apart from Delhi, the Congress on Thursday held protests in several parts of the country including Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan over the Enforcement Directorate investigating former party president Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Congress workers held a protest march in Bengaluru on Thursday over the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by ED.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, CLP leader Siddaramaiah and other leaders and workers of the party were detained by police during their protest in Bengaluru.
“The protest is our right. We will fight for justice. They (ED) are not taking cases of any BJP leaders. They are harassing only Congress people,” Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar told ANI.
Bangaluru witnessed traffic snarls ahead of another Congress protest march. An ambulance was also seen stuck in the traffic.
Starting from the Congress office, the march is going to end at Raj Bhaven. The Karnataka Congress will give a memorandum to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot over the matter. The party delegation will also hand over a complaint letter against Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bengaluru Police said the Congress protest was against the High Court’s order.
“High Court had earlier ordered that protests will not be held anywhere except Freedom Park. We conveyed it to them. They gave us in writing about protest but we rejected it. We conveyed it to them in the morning too. If they proceed, we will take them into preventive custody,” Bheemashankar S Guled, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru East told ANI.
Meanwhile, Congress workers also held a protest in Chandigarh against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by ED. Several workers of the party were detained by police.
“I cannot understand what has Rahul Gandhi done that he has been called for 3 days? Yesterday, Delhi Police barged into AICC office and beat up our MPs. Such vendetta politics has never been seen before. Government should not try to suppress voices,” Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring
“We will continue protesting. We were going to Raj Bhavan. Congress party stands with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. We will not step back. We will not be scared,” said a Congress worker.
Congress workers also staged a demonstration in Hyderabad, Chennai and Jaipur.
“They want to suppress Rahul Gandhi’s voice. They can’t scare Indira Gandhi’s grandson with lathis. Congress will be the reason behind BJP’s end,” said Rajasthan Minister P Khachariyawas.
Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse Congress workers protesting in Thiruvananthapuram over the ED probe against party leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Pertinent to mention, Rahul Gandhi has been asked to rejoin the probe on Friday by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the National Herald case, said sources.
The Congress leader left the ED office after 9 pm on Wednesday.
The former Congress chief appeared before the ED for the third consecutive day on Wednesday for questioning.