Congress announces month-long ‘Jai Bharat Satyagraha’

Intensifying its protest on the Adani issue and disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, Congress on Tuesday announced a month-long ‘Jai Bharat Satyagraha’ across the country that includes demonstrations near Ambedkar and Gandhi statues.

Announcing the agitation plan, Congress General Secretaries KC Venugopal (Organisation) and Jairam Ramesh (Communications) said that the party could not go back on its duty of protecting democracy, which is “under attack” from the Narendra Modi government.

They said the protests inside and outside Parliament, including Sunday’s Sankalp Satyagraha at Rajghat, have already started on Friday when Rahul was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case. The party has also panned out its leaders across India on Tuesday and Wednesday for press conferences.

As part of the Jai Bharat Satyagraha, a national-level mega rally would be held in Delhi in the second week of April.

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The first phase of the protest will be between Wednesday and April 8 when street corner meetings will be held at the block and mandal level of the Congress against the “erroneous conviction and disqualification” of Rahul and to express Congress’ resolve to keep raising the voice of people against “blatant loot” of peoples money and nation’s wealth by “Modani” or Modi and Adani.

There will also be a social media campaign during this period to spread Rahul’s message and appeal to the public for support. On March 31, there will be press conferences in all districts by state leaders while the next day will see district-level leaders holding interaction with media at the block or mandal level.

Protests by SC/ST/OBC/Minority Departments of Congress would be organised on April 1 in front of Ambedkar and Gandhi statues in all state capitals. A similar protest would be held in all district headquarters on Wednesday.

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The activists of Youth Congress, NSU(I) and other frontal organisations would send postcards to Modi questioning him on April 3 while Mahila Congress will organise a rally in New Delhi.

The second part of the satyagraha will be at the district level between April 15 and 20 when district headquarters will be gheraoed with senior state leaders in attendance. District committees have been asked to invite friendly parties and civil society to join these events.

The state-level programmes will be between April 20 and 30 when senior leaders will hold a one-day fast.