my uttarakhand news Bureau
Haldwani, 3 Sep: The Congress has begun a ‘satyagraha’ in protest against the case registered against Rahul Gandhi and the alleged ‘Dalit oppression’. The Opposition party also appears determined to not let go of the issue of Dalits claiming oppression by the BJP led Government in Uttarakhand. It may be recalled that following a rally addressed by National President of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani on 8 August, representatives of an organisation called Shri Ram Sena had organised a Shuddhikaran (Purification) Hawan at the Ramleela Ground. Whereas the organisers claimed that the Hawan had no Dalit connection or Kharge and it was carried out after the Ramleela Ground was made dirty during the rally and that Islamic slogans were raised, the Congress has turned the issue into a political one, blaming the BJP Government and the party. The Congress has also sought it to turn the issue into a Dalit issue. The Congress is also demanding withdrawal of an FIR against its leader Rahul Gandhi who has been allegedly booked under some provisions of SC/ST Act on the complaints of some private persons over his remarks.
The agitation began today at Buddha Park where party workers, joined by Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Congress national president Sunil Panwar, staged a peaceful demonstration by spinning the charkha, symbolising Mahatma Gandhi’s path of non-violence and truth.
Congress leaders demanded withdrawal of the case against Rahul Gandhi and pressed for action in the alleged purification incident, accusing the police of adopting a biased approach. They asserted that, in a democratic system, both the public and the opposition have the right to raise their voice on political and social issues, and registering cases against those who do so is against democratic values.
Party workers also raised slogans against the central and state governments, insisting that the case against Rahul Gandhi must be withdrawn and that those responsible for the purification act should be booked. Leaders alleged that the police had failed to act impartially and reiterated their demand for FIRs against those involved in the incident. The Congress leaders said the party would continue its struggle in a democratic and peaceful manner until the case against Rahul Gandhi is withdrawn and action is taken in the purification matter. They emphasised that the movement will not end until justice is delivered, and vowed to intensify the agitation if the demands remain unmet.
The protest in Haldwani has added a new dimension to the ongoing political confrontation, with Congress projecting the satyagraha as a moral stand against injustice and an assertion of democratic rights.
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