APCC stages protests over FIR against Rahul Gandhi in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday staged statewide protests against the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning an alleged caste-based “purification” ritual at the venue of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.  The protests, held at all district headquarters across Assam and at Rajiv Bhawan, the Congress headquarters in Guwahati, were organized on the direction of APCC president Gaurav Gogoi. Congress leaders accused the BJP-led government of using state machinery for political vendetta and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR.

The demonstration at Rajiv Bhawan was moderated by APCC Media and Communication Department and saw the participation of several senior Congress leaders and legislators, including CLP leader Wazed Ali Choudhury, former APCC president Ripun Bora, MLAs Aftab Uddin Mollah, Mohibur Rahman, Aminur Rashid Choudhury and along with party office-bearers and workers.

.Addressing the gathering, Ripun Bora alleged that BJP and RSS workers had attempted to send a divisive message by carrying out a “purification” ritual at the venue following Kharge’s rally. He said Rahul Gandhi had demanded legal action against those allegedly involved in the incident in defence of the Constitution and democratic values.

Bora alleged that instead of taking action against the perpetrators, the BJP-led Uttarakhand government registered a politically motivated FIR against Rahul Gandhi. He claimed that repeated cases against the Congress leader since 2014 had failed to silence him and asserted that the Congress would continue its fight to protect the Constitution and democracy.

Congress workers raised slogans including “Withdraw false cases against Rahul Gandhi”, “Stop BJP’s communal politics”, “Caste discrimination will not be tolerated in India”, “Protect Indian Democracy” and “Long live the Indian Constitution”. They demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the FIR against Rahul Gandhi.

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