Congress stages massive pan-India protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament

After the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha in a 2019 criminal defamation case on Friday, tension mounted in various parts of the country as Congress workers took to the street to protest against the Lok Sabha Secretariat's move.

In various pockets of Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur Congress activists and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed with each other.

As per news reports hundreds of Congress workers stormed into the BJP office in the state capital. They created ruckus and blackened the posters carrying pictures of senior BJP leaders. In retaliation, BJP workers reached the Congress headquarters and reportedly pelted stones. Soon after the news of the incident spread, police reached the spot and the situation was brought under control.

Huge protests in Wayanad   

Huge protests broke out at various places in Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency as well as hundreds of people took to the streets at various towns there to protest his disqualification from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Gujarat court.

The protests were led by local Congress leaders, including Kalpetta legislator T. Siddique, district party President N.D. Appachen and many others at various towns in the Wayanad constituency.A large number of women were also present at the protests.

At Kalpetta, angry protesters tried to barge into the office of the BSNL, but were prevented by the police.

"Wayanad is so dear to Gandhi and hence he made a quick dash here, when he was in Karnataka early this week. He attended meetings and functions when he came this time as he is deeply immersed with his people here," said Siddique, adding that became evident as crowds started to arrive in large numbers when they heard about the protest.

The protesters at various towns shouted anti-BJP slogans and warned the Centre's ruling party not to test their patience anymore.

Bengal Congress holds protest

The Congress in West Bengal on Friday said that it will put up rail and road blockades on Saturday against the disqualification of former party president Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.

Terming the disqualification as an example of the vengeful politics of the BJP, state Congress leader Ashutosh Chatterjee asserted that it is a "shameful act" on the part of the saffron party.

"The BJP is resorting to vengeful politics since Rahul Gandhi was raising issues in the interest of the youth and the downtrodden of the country," Chatterjee told reporters as party workers shouted anti-BJP slogans at the busy Moulali crossing in central Kolkata.

He also alleged that the BJP was acting against Gandhi since the party demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani shares issue.

Carrying placards that read 'Black day for Indian democracy', Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi said that the party's activists will put up rail and road blockades on Saturday.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after he was convicted by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case. 

In Nagpur Congress workers shouted slogans

In Nagpur, Congress supporters shouted slogans against the "dictatorship" of the Union government and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Medical Square.

Nagpur District Congress Committee members said more protests will be held later in the evening at Sanvidhan Square.

Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha a day after his conviction in Modi surname defamation case. Gandhi scion who represents Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala was disqualified under provisions of Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of Representation of the People Act.

On Thursday, a court in Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in a defamation case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

(With inputs from agencies)