BENGALURU: Senior Congress leaders in Karnataka hit the streets protesting against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against party MP Rahul Gandhi and sought President Ram Nath Kovind’s intervention to end alleged misuse of the Central agencies by the Union Government.
Accompanied by a large number of party workers, including MLAs and MPs, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar took out ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and other leaders sat on the main road raising slogans against the Centre when the police stopped the rally to Raj Bhavan near Balekundri Circle. Police had a tough time controlling the party workers. They took senior leaders into custody.
Shivakumar said the party will continue to fight against the injustice and harassment meted out to senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul. After Rahul announced his “Bharat Jodo Yatra,” from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari, the government is harassing him by using Central agencies, he said. Siddaramaiah said they are not against the investigation and condemn the conspiracy with ill-intention to frame senior leaders in a false case to tarnish their image.
Meanwhile, Congress workers will stage protests in all the district headquarters in the state on Friday.
Later, the party leaders submitted a memorandum to the President of India through the Governor requesting him to take note of the alleged misuse of Central agencies and issue directives to uphold the true spirit of democracy and provisions of the Constitution. They appealed to President to issue directives to the Centre, ED and the Delhi police to drop all “illegal proceedings” against the Congress leaders and not to prevent the party leaders and workers from the peaceful protests on these issues.