Pics: Spoorthi Ullal & Niranjan M N
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Udupi (JD)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Sep 1: The district Congress committees in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi staged massive protests on Tuesday, strongly condemning the FIR registered against Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The FIR was filed after Gandhi raised his voice against an alleged casteist act involving the “purification” of a venue following a rally addressed by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
Mangaluru protest
In Mangaluru, the Dakshina Kannada district Congress committee staged a demonstration near the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) office at Lalbagh, protesting against the BJP government's hate politics.
Addressing the protesters, district in-charge minister U T Khader said that the nation will not forgive BJP leaders for insulting the Dalit community by "purifying" the venue where a senior leader like Mallikarjun Kharge delivered a speech. "This act has made India hang its head in shame globally. Instead of taking action against those who insulted constitutional values, an FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, who raised his voice in support of the country's Constitution and culture," he said.
Khader further added that no one can separate the Gandhi family from the people of India. "Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives to establish peace in North and South India and to uphold the unity of the country. The nation can never forget their sacrifices. Rahul Gandhi is not someone who will bow down to the threats and criticisms of the BJP. He continuously raises his voice on behalf of the people and the Constitution. No one can stop him from becoming the prime minister in the future," he asserted.
MLC Ivan D'Souza stated that the BJP government is resorting to hate politics to cover up its failures and divert public attention. "It is extremely dangerous that BJP leaders are trying to create a divide in the name of caste and religion. By filing cases against opposition leaders, they are attempting to silence voices of dissent. The Congress will not yield to such threats," he noted.
Dakshina Kannada district Congress president K Harish Kumar and district women's Congress president Appi also addressed the gathering.
Former minister B Ramanath Rai, Shashidhar Hegde, Shallet Pinto, Santhosh Kumar Shetty, Prakash Salian, Mohan Kotian Mulki, Bharath Mundodi, Surendra Kambali, Padmanabha Kotian, K P Thomas, K Harinath Jogi, Shahul Hameed, Neeraj Chandrapal, Joachim D'Souza, Naveen D'Souza, Luqman Bantwal, Lawrence D'Souza, Vasanth Bernard, Abubakkar Kudroli, Prem Nath P B, Dinesh Mulur, Lancy Loto Pinto, Malar Monu, Abbas Ali, T K Sudhir, Girish Shetty, Dennis D'Silva, Shubhodaya Alva, Shamshuddin Kudroli, Melvin D'Souza, Shabir S, Padmanabha Amin, Airport Khader, M P Manuraj, Bhaskar Rao, Ramananda Poojary, Suhan Alva, U T Farid Iftikar, Geetha Attavar, Chandrakala Jogi, Sarika Poojary, Neetu D'Souza, Kavitha Vasu, Shantala Gatti, Nancy Noronha, Souhan S K, Abid Ali Kudroli, and others were present.
Udupi protest
In Udupi, Congress leaders and workers marched from the Congress Bhavan at Brahmagiri to Brahmagiri Circle, where they raised slogans against the Union and Uttarakhand governments and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR.
Senior thinker Dr Gananaatha Yekkaru, addressing the protesters, said that the act of “purifying” the place where Mallikarjun Kharge had delivered his speech amounted to an insult to a leader holding one of the country’s highest constitutional positions.
“If such an incident can happen to a national leader, it is difficult to imagine the situation of ordinary people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the country,” he said, warning that if such practices continue, cases could eventually be filed against anyone who raises their voice against untouchability.
Dr Yekkaru added that developments undermining the core values of the Constitution — liberty, equality, social justice and fraternity — were taking place in the country. "It is unfortunate that no action has been taken against those who allegedly practised untouchability in the Kharge incident, while a case has been registered against those who questioned it," he said, alleging that the government was misusing the administrative machinery.
Coastal Development Board chairman M A Gafoor said the Union and Uttarakhand governments had acted in a manner that showed disregard for democracy. “The Congress strongly condemns this act. The FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi should be withdrawn immediately,” he demanded.
Congress spokesperson Veronica Cornelio alleged that the foundations of democracy in the country had been weakened since the Narendra Modi government came to power. "There has been a continuous attempt to suppress the voice of the Constitution. The Union government has begun to fear Rahul Gandhi, who is increasingly attracting the attention of the youth. The FIR is an attempt to silence his voice,” she alleged.
Congress leaders Ramesh Kanchan, Prakhyath Shetty, Jyothi Hebbar, Suresh Shetty Bannanje, Geetha Vaghei, Satish Kodavoor, Dayananda P, Ganesh Nerghi, Krishna Shetty Bajagoli, and Shashidhar Shetty Ermal, among others, were present at the Udupi protest.