TN to Telangana; Cong leaders protest over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification [details]

Telangana Congress leaders staged satyagraha at the party office in Hyderabad on Sunday to protest against disqualification of party leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

Manikrao Thakare, the in-charge of Congress party for Telangana, led the protest at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party.

Congress party's central leader Tariq Anwar, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President A. Revanth Reddy, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy and other leaders participated in the protest.

The Congress leaders condemned Rahul Gandhi's disqualification and called it a conspiracy by Modi government. They vowed to continue the protest till the disqualification is revoked.

Manikrao Thakare said Rahul Gandhi was targetted as he was exposing the loot of public wealth by Adani with support from the Modi government. He said the Congress leader has made it clear that he is not afraid of anybody and will continue to raise the voice of the poor of this country.

Revanth Reddy alleged that Rahul Gandhi's disqualification is a conspiracy by Narendra Modi government. "The government was unable to politically face Rahul Gandhiji and hence disqualified him," he said.

"Today BJP might disqualify him but tomorrow he will be the Prime Minister," said Revanth Reddy.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Rahul Gandhi was disqualified under a conspiracy. He said the speed with which the Congress leader was sentenced in the defamation case raised many doubts. He pointed out that trials in defamation cases continue for years but in this case, the court delivered the judgment within a few weeks.

The former TPCC president said though Surat court gave a month to Rahul Gandhi to challenge the sentence in a higher court, the Modi government acted in haste to disqualify him within 24 hours.

The Congress leader said since Rahul Gandhi had been raising his voice in the Parliament to expose Modi-Adani nexus, the government got him disqualified to gag his voice.

MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said if necessary, all Congress MPs should resign to show solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.

Former state ministers K. Jana Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, former Union minister Renuka Chowdary, former MP V. Hanumantha Rao and others participated in the protest.

24-hour sit-in protest in TN

Tamil Nadu Congress legislators will hold a sit-in protest in the Assembly on Monday to condemn the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

The protest will continue for 24 hours and end on Tuesday morning. The Congress party will also move a special resolution in the Assembly to protest the "murder of democracy".

This was announced by the Congress legislative party leader, Selvaperithungai on Sunday while interacting with mediapersons. He said that the legislators will wear a black attire in the Assembly while participating in the ongoing budget session in the House.

He said, "We will hold placards saying #StandWithRahul and stage sit-in protests by staying in the House throughout the night to show the unity of the opposition."

Meanwhile, in a related development, Congress cadres conducted a hunger strike in front of the memorial of Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur.

The cadres shouted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called upon the central government to withdraw the case against Rahul Gandhi.

(With inputs from IANS)