Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 16 (IANS) Karnataka Congress has announced that it will hold a dharna (agitation) opposite the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on Wednesday, condemning what it termed as the misuse of power by the Centre.

Addressing reporters at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha late on Tuesday night, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar said the agitation was being organised in the backdrop of the court quashing the National Herald case against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, which, he said, exposed the high-handedness of the Centre.

He added that the protest would also condemn the attempt to change the name of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, I, and all MLAs and MLCs will gather before the Mahatma Gandhi statue and stage a protest,” the Deputy CM announced.

“All our MLAs will participate in the protest, which will also be held across Bengaluru city. After the protest, there should be a debate on this issue in the Assembly, and it must be recorded. We are preparing for that and will announce our plan to raise the issue in the Assembly later,” Shivakumar stated.

“I request all legislators to ensure that protests are organised at district headquarters and taluk centres against the removal of the MGNREGA name and to condemn hate politics,” he said.

“My brother D.K. Suresh and I were supposed to go to the Delhi Police on Monday in connection with the National Herald case. We had written to them asking for a copy of the FIR first. However, the Enforcement Directorate filed the chargesheet without registering an FIR in the National Herald case,” he said.

“As per law, an FIR must be registered first. The National Herald is a property of the Congress party. This property has been seized, and Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have been subjected to unbearable harassment. Complaints were taken based on a petition by senior politician Subramanian Swamy against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and the Young Indian organisation. We are party workers and had made donations to support the organisation,” he said.

“We have been repeatedly summoned by the ED for inquiry. We sought time till next week to appear with documents. The court has quashed the case, stating that it is not legally valid. This is a testimony that the judiciary is alive in the country,” Shivakumar said.

“This exposes how power is being misused. We are marking 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi took over as the president of the AICC in Belagavi. The MGNREGA programme was named after him, and now there is an attempt to remove his name. In this backdrop, the struggle has become inevitable,” he said.

“The National Herald newspaper was established by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937. It is a property of the Congress party. Naturally, the shares are held in the name of the Congress president. They were never meant to be personal property. Donations were made by Congress leaders and workers. Who else would contribute?” Shivakumar asked.

“The quashing of the case strengthens faith in the judiciary, and I welcome it. I urge all legislators to set aside their work and attend the protest in Belagavi,” he said.

Shivakumar added that similar protests would also be held in Delhi and across the country.

--IANS

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