TNCC president K.S. Alagiri participating in a day-long Satyagraha against the disqualification of former party president Rahul Gandhi in Chidambaram on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.S. Alagiri said on Sunday that the disqualification of Wayanad MP and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was a step in the wrong direction and would give rise to serious political implications for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
Participating in a day-long Satyagraha in front of the Gandhi statue at Chidambaram, he said the Congress would not remain quiet, particularly when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pampering industrialist Gautam Adani. “We will continue to stage agitations in the State in phases and take the issue to people,” he said.
Mr. Alagiri said that even political parties that do not fall in line with the Congress had extended support to Mr. Gandhi, and the Prime Minister would face the consequences. “Mr. Gandhi is not an ordinary person and he would emerge victorious,” he said.
He said the Prime Minister was afraid that if Mr. Gandhi was permitted to speak on the floor of Parliament, several facts would come to light. Unable to face the practical consequences, the BJP government had disqualified him. This was not proper democratic functioning and, very soon, the Prime Minister would come to feel the erroneous approach adopted in Mr. Gandhi’s case, he added.
The party staged protests in 70 of the 76 organisational districts. In Chennai, protests were held at seven places.
Lok Sabha member Karti Chidambaram said, “When the case comes to the Supreme Court, he [Mr. Gandhi] will win and become an MP again. We should talk about how the BJP is slowly chipping away at democracy. What he [Mr. Gandhi] spoke in England about democracy in India is true…”
A senior TNCC office-bearer said there had been a groundswell of support.
In Chennai, Tiruchi MP S. Thirunavukkarasar and Mr. Karti Chidambaram presided over the protest at Valluvar Kottam.
Krishnagiri MP A. Chellakumar participated in the protest organised by Scheduled Caste Cell head, M.P. Ranjan Kumar, near the Anna Arch at Aminjikarai.
Kanniyakumari MP Vijay Vasanth and TNCC vice-president A. Gopanna participated in the protest at Saidapet.
Former TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu led the protest near the Gandhi statue near Adyar Bridge.
