All MPs and senior leaders of the Congress will participate in the 'Loktantra Bachao Mashaal Shanti March' from Red Fort to Town Hall in Delhi at 7 pm on Tuesday. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in the next 30 days, various protests will be organised at the block, state, and national levels across the country, reported news agency ANI. Since Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, the Congress has intensified its campaign against the ruling BJP.
Last week, a Surat court sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. Following the sentence, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.
The Congress also started a two-day 'Democracy Dis'Qualified' press conference campaign in 35 cities across India on Tuesday. The Congress's campaign is aimed at protesting Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha and demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee [JPC] probe into the allegations of irregularities by the Adani Group. The press conferences will also highlight other issues, such as the alleged "clean chit" to fugitives.
Speaking at one such presser Congress leader KC Venugopal said, "The BJP has dedicated this year's Budget session to [Gautam] Adani... This government doesn't want to listen to anything on the Adani scam. We demanded a JPC inquiry into the scam today as well. If the government is not guilty [of being party to the group's alleged irregularities], why is it running away from forming a JPC on this issue?"
Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday alleged that the Adani Group's claim of having repaid all loans taken by pledging promoters' shares in its companies was fake. Citing a report, he said that "as of March 27, the percentage of the shares pledged are nowhere near the claims being made.
CONGRESS'S MONTH-LONG PROTEST CAMPAIGN
The Congress began countrywide protests on Friday against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. On Sunday, the party stage a 'Sankalp Satygraha' at Rajghat, while on Monday, it led an all-party black-clothes protest, citing "danger to democracy". Jairam Ramesh said that the party will extend the concept of the 'Sankalp Satyagraha' to the block levels as well.
The party's ST/SC and OBC wings will stage protests in all state capitals against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification on April 1. The Indian Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India will begin a postcard campaign. Under the campaign, the party will urge the public to write to PM Narendra Modi, "questioning him on relevant issues". The Mahila Congress will also begin a protest campaign against the BJP the same day. "From April 15-20, 'Jai Bharat Satygraha' will be organised at the district level. This will involve gherao of the district collectorates," he said. Venugopal said that from April 20-30, a massive state-level satyagraha will be organised by national level Congress leaders.
"Amid all these protests, we are going to hold a national-level 'Jai Bharat Mahasatyagraha' in the second week of April. There will be war rooms and monitoring committees in every state to keep track of all these programmes," he said.
RAHUL GANDHI TO VACATE OFFICIAL BUNGALOW
Rahul Gandhi on Monday agreed to vacate the government accommodation after a notice was sent to him by Lok Sabha secretariat following his disqualification as an MP. "As an elected Member of Lok Sabha over last 4 terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here. Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course, abide by the details contained in your letter," Rahul Gandhi wrote to Deputy Secretary, MS Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat. Rahul Gandhi had moved to this bungalow located in Lutyen's Delhi in 2004, when he first won his Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi.
Reacting to the development, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the government is making all attempts to weaken the Congress leader. He said that when Rahul Gandhi vacates the bungalow, he can stay with his mother Sonia, or Kharge himself would vacate a house for him.