Senior Congress leaders took out a march from the party office in Lucknow on Monday evening to protest the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani recently.
“The BJP must remember that the politics of repression and legal cases cannot break Rahul Gandhi’s spirit and resolve. Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, the fight for the Constitution, social justice, and the rights of every citizen will continue with a resounding voice and unwavering determination,” said Aradhna Mishra, Congress Legislature Party leader in the UP Assembly.
“No FIR was registered against those responsible for the “purification” of the dais following the public meeting held by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Uttarakhand. An FIR should also be registered against the BJP workers involved in the incident,” said UP Congress chief Ajay Rai.
“The NDA government at the Centre is anti-Dalit. Mallikarjun Kharge, who is from the Dalit community, is one of the country’s senior-most leaders. Following his public meeting in Haldwani, BJP members performed a “purification” ritual on the dais—an act that is unconstitutional and a punishable criminal offence,” he claimed.
“It constitutes a violation of laws regarding untouchability and discrimination. Instead of registering an FIR and taking action against the actual perpetrators of the crime, the BJP government in Uttarakhand has registered a fabricated FIR against our leader Rahul Gandhi for demanding action,” Rai said.
Congress’s Barabanki MP Tanuj Punia, spokesperson Uma Shankar Pandey, Anamika Yadav and Naresh Valmiki were prominent among those who took part in the march.
