Pics: Spoorthi Ullal/Harshini Brahmavar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (DV/HB)

Mangaluru, Jun 17: Dakshina Kannada district Congress committee staged a protest against the BJP-led union government over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

The protest was held near the Income Tax office at Attavar here on Friday June 17.

Addressing the protesters, former minister B Ramanath Rai said, "ED issuing summons to Rahul Gandhi and harassing him is really condemnable. The BJP-led-union government is misusing the constitutionally formed government institutions. Unnecessary allegations are being hurled against Congress leaders. The BJP government is doing this intentionally."

Mangaluru

Udupi

He also alleged that the BJP has closed several cases of those who joined the BJP.

"The Congress leaders are being targeted by misusing the government institutions. This is an injustice. Leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the nation," he said.

MLA U T Khader said, "The BJP-led union government is projecting to the world that Rahul Gandhi is a great power. The BJP cannot tolerate Rahul Gandhi representing the common peoples’ voice. The BJP is trying to bring a black mark to his name. They had already tried to defame Rahul Gandhi on social media. In front of Rahul Gandhi's stature, they were not successful. Now they are trying to defame him by summoning him through ED. National Herald was founded with the intention to unite people against the British, during pre-Independence. The then British government tried to ban the newspaper. The BJP is a replica of the British government. Harassing someone without FIR unnecessarily is not fair. It is an effort to curb the voice of the people. People of the country are in favour of Rahul.”

MLC Manjunath Bhandary also spoke. District Congress president Harish Kumar, former MLAs J R Lobo and Shakunthala Shetty, former MLC Ivan D'Souza, Mithun Rai, and others were present.

Meanwhile, Udupi district Congress also staged a huge protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office here on Friday June 17 condemning the BJP government maladministration and various others issues in the country.

The protesting members were trying to enter the DC office premises. The police personnel did not allow them to enter the premises. They sat near the gate and raised slogans against BJP government on its recent developments like corruption, ED raid and so on.

Abhayachandra Jain said, "The BJP is torturing the minorities, poor and socially backward communities, after coming into rule in 2014. Congress leaders and workers should join hands in eradicating the BJP’s corrupt government. Let us take an oath to dislodge the BJP from its roots in the country. We should unite against the BJP.”

Vinay Kumar Sorake said, “The BJP is trying to finish the Congress by raising the issue of National Herald case. The ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for about 31 hours which is really crossing the limits. An FIR was also not filed before the inquiry of Rahul Gandhi began. The BJP is creating communal riots for political gain. The ED did not raid any of BJP leaders' house. They only investigate Congress leaders just to suppress the opposition in the country. BJP thinks that if they suppress the opposition party, they can rule the nation easily.”

Ashok Kumar Kodavoor said, “The BJP is using all tactics to harass the Congress leaders. The BJP failed to prevent corruption and it is making an effort to put an end to the Congress in the nation.”

Additional DC Veena came to the protest spot and received the memorandum copy from the Congress district president.

Earlier, a protest rally was carried out by the district Congress from Manipal Coin Circle to the DC’s office.

Abhaychandra Jain, state in-charge for Udupi, Vinay Kumar Sorake, former minister, Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Congress district president, Ramesh Kanchan, president, Udupi block Congress, Hussain Padubidri Manjunath, M A Gafoor, Vignesh Kini, Harish Kini, Krishnamurthy Acharya, Kishan Hegde Kolkebail, Roshini Olivera, Prakhyath Shetty and president, vice presidents, activists from all blocks took part in the protest.