On 17th August 2021, several Telangana Congress leaders staged a protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a member of the Lok Sabha. The protest was held outside the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) office in Hyderabad, and it was attended by senior leaders of the party.
The reason behind the protest was the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha for his alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct during the 2019 general elections. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were deemed as derogatory and defamatory.
The Telangana Congress leaders condemned the decision of the ECI and called it an attack on democracy. They argued that Rahul Gandhi had only exercised his right to free speech and had not violated any law or code of conduct. They also accused the ECI of being biased towards the ruling party and working to suppress the opposition.
The protest was led by TPCC President A. Revanth Reddy, who stated that the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi was a blatant attempt to silence the voice of the opposition. He called upon all Congress workers to unite against this injustice and fight for the rights of the people.
Other senior leaders who participated in the protest included former MP V. Hanumantha Rao, former MLA P. Sudhakar Reddy, and TPCC Working President Ponnam Prabhakar. They all expressed their solidarity with Rahul Gandhi and demanded that the decision be revoked immediately.
The protest received widespread support from Congress workers and leaders across Telangana. Many took to social media to express their outrage over the disqualification and to show their support for Rahul Gandhi. The hashtag #IStandWithRahulGandhi trended on Twitter for several hours, with thousands of people joining in to voice their opinion.
The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi has sparked a debate on the limits of free speech and the role of the ECI in regulating political discourse. While some argue that the ECI has a duty to ensure fair play and prevent hate speech, others believe that it is being used as a tool to suppress dissent and stifle opposition.
The protest by Telangana Congress leaders is just one example of the growing discontent among opposition parties against the ruling government and its policies. It remains to be seen how this will impact the political landscape in the coming months, but one thing is clear – the fight for democracy and free speech is far from over.
