Congress party members in Hubballi took to the streets on Thursday, staging a significant protest march against the central government. The demonstration was triggered by a recent decision of the Supreme Court regarding the long-running National Herald case involving senior Congress leaders.
March and Detentions in Arvind Nagar
The protest action began at the local Congress office. From there, a large group of party functionaries and activists commenced a march towards the Bharatiya Janata Party's office located in the city's Arvind Nagar area. Their aim was to picket the BJP office in a show of dissent.
However, the local police had anticipated the move and set up barricades a short distance away from the BJP office. The police stopped the advancing Congress workers and subsequently detained several of them to prevent the picketing and maintain public order. The detained individuals included various Congress functionaries and active party members.
The Spark: Supreme Court's National Herald Decision
The immediate catalyst for this public agitation was a legal development in Delhi. The Supreme Court had declined to take cognizance of a prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. This case targets Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Congress leaders in Hubballi interpreted the court's move as a vindication of their long-held stance. Anil Kumar Patil, the president of the Congress's rural unit for the district, addressed the media during the protest. He launched a sharp attack on the ruling party, accusing it of political conspiracy.
"The BJP is always conspiring against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Patil stated. "The same has been done in the National Herald case. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are trying to file non-existent cases on Congress leaders." He concluded by saying, "However, the law has opened its eyes. The rejection of the National Herald case is welcome."
Prominent Leaders Present at the Protest
The protest saw the participation of several key local Congress figures. Alongside Anil Kumar Patil, the gathering included Altaf Hallur, the district Congress president for Hubballi-Dharwad. Other notable leaders present were Sadananda Dangannavar, Shivananda Muthannavara, and Gouramma Balogi. Their collective presence underscored the party's organized opposition to the central government's actions, which they label as politically motivated legal harassment.
The event highlights the ongoing political tensions in Karnataka, where the Congress is the ruling party at the state level but faces opposition from the BJP-led central government. The National Herald case remains a flashpoint, with local party units across the country likely to echo similar sentiments following the Supreme Court's latest procedural decision.
