Even as former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appeared before Enforcement Directorate for third day in a row for another round of questioning in connection with the National Herald case, massive protests erupted at the party’s national headquarters at Akbar Road, with Rajasthan Congress office-bearers leading from the front. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been in the forefront in terms of protest as well as raising questions over the intention of the government.
In fact, apart from raising his voice against ‘unjust and unfair’ questioning of Rahul Gandhi, the Rajasthan CM put some legitimate questions to the Modi government over issues like corruption, price rise, communal politics, etc. He did not let the protest turn into a mere agitation or into a sloganeering show. What he did was that he kept focus on the basic issues of governance alleging that the present dispensation has failed on that count.
All the leaders from Rajasthan unit of the Congress hit the streets and faced the police lathi-charge as well. Despite the hot weather, leaders such as Rajasthan PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, Jitender Singh, Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken were seen protesting against what they called conspiracy to defame their leader Rahul Gandhi.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who has been leading the protest from Rajasthan for the last three days, said that what is happening over the last eight years will go down in the history of Indian democracy as a black chapter. Gehlot reiterated his allegation about corruption and communal politics under the present dispensation. Gehlot said that Delhi police action against Congress workers and leaders on the premises of the Congress headquarters signals the frustration of the government. In fact, the government is disappointed to see that the Congress is not succumbing to its pressure despite all the questioning and grilling of Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot added.