Bhubaneswar, 17 December (H.S.): The Congress on Wednesday termed the outcome of the National Herald case a major moral victory and accused the BJP-led central government of misusing constitutional institutions. In protest, Congress workers under the banner of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) staged a gherao of the BJP’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar.
The PCC alleged that the BJP government at the Centre had, for years, harassed senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi through what it described as false cases. Congress leaders claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision to completely exonerate both leaders in the National Herald case has exposed what they called the BJP’s “politics of vendetta” before the nation.
The party further accused the Centre of acting against the Constitution and democratic values, alleging that decisions such as changing the name of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals.
Protesting these issues, a massive rally was taken out from Congress Bhavan under the leadership of PCC president Bhakta Charan Das, which culminated in a gherao of the BJP state headquarters. Several senior Congress leaders and office-bearers participated in the programme, while thousands of workers from the Youth Congress and Mahila Congress also joined the demonstration.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
