BJP targetting Rahul Gandhi, says M.B. Patil

Congress leaders staged a protest march in Vijayapura on Tuesday, in objection to the FIR filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. District In-charge Minister M.B. Patil and other officials spearheaded the rally, which began at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Circle and concluded at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the BJP-led NDA government at the national level.

They presented a petition to President Droupadi Murmu through Deputy Commissioner Anand K. According to Patil, the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers had allegedly disinfected the location where Rajya Sabha Opposition Leader and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge delivered a speech in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. This, Patil alleged, is a clear instance of caste discrimination.

Rahul Gandhi had called for stringent action against those involved in the cleaning ritual. Instead, the central government has compelled officials to file an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, which Patil described as highly condemnable. The Uttarakhand police, Patil alleged, have registered a case against Gandhi at the Kotwali police station in Haldwani city, under the watchful eye of the BJP government in the state.

Patil further stated that the BJP is openly endorsing its casteist behavior through this act. The BJP is engaging in a vindictive and politically motivated campaign aimed at silencing the opposition. However, Patil expressed confidence in the judicial system and vowed to contest the case through legal means. Other Congress leaders present at the protest included MLA Vitthal Katakadhond, Congress district president Mallikarjuna Loni, and several others.