Nationwide silent protests were carried out by the Congress party on Wednesday in response to the Gujarat High Court’s refusal to stay the conviction of former Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi. The events were orchestrated to showcase support for Gandhi and object to his defamation case conviction and subsequent parliamentary disqualification.
The “democracy disqualified” demonstrations, led by Kamal Nath, state unit chief, were conducted at the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. The Committee stated that Gandhi exposed the anti-public policies of the BJP government, drawing attention to the relationship between PM Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
The protests spanned states, cities, and towns, with demonstrators gathering in Bhopal, Gujarat, Goa, Jammu, Kashmir, and Thiruvananthapuram. Former Union minister Arun Yadav and several Congress MLAs were among the senior party leaders who participated in the “maun satyagrah” protest.
Congress officials stressed that the party and the general public stand with Gandhi in his “fight for truth and justice”. They suggested the BJP government’s actions against Gandhi have been due to fear of his vocal criticism and commitment to public issues.
In Goa, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar led the protest, expressing discontent over the alleged injustice done to Gandhi. Patkar criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state administration in Goa for their governance deficit.
Elsewhere, in Jaipur, Congress leaders took to the stage with images of Gandhi displayed during their “silent satyagraha”. Rajasthan’s Congress leaders accused the Modi government of curtailing freedom of speech and perpetuating fear politics.
The Congress party, asserting their dedication to democracy and freedom of speech, claimed these silent protests were a peaceful and non-violent means to express their opposition to the political manoeuvres against Gandhi. Despite the recent setbacks, the party remains hopeful for a positive outcome in Gandhi’s case from the Supreme Court.