Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 17 (IANS) The Congress party in Karnataka staged a statewide protest on Wednesday, condemning the alleged filing of false cases against their senior leaders, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, in connection with the National Herald case.

All MLAs and MLCs gathered in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar. Similar protests were also held across the state at district headquarters and taluk centres.

Addressing the protest at the Suvarna Soudha premises, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said demonstrations would be held both inside and outside the legislature in support of the court verdict related to the National Herald case.

He alleged that the BJP was indulging in politics of hatred and attempting to malign Congress leaders by foisting false cases against them. He said the BJP’s conspiracy has been exposed, with the court delivering justice in the National Herald case.

He said protests would be organised across the state and the country against the BJP’s conspiratorial politics. Congress is not a party that will remain silent, he said, adding that it was the grand old party that secured independence for the country, while the BJP had no role in the freedom struggle and is now indulging in divisive politics.

Siddaramaiah supported the court’s decision rejecting the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The CM said the BJP is indulging in vindictive politics. Whether at the Centre or in states where the BJP is in power, Congress leaders are being deliberately targeted, portrayed as criminals, and dragged to court.

He alleged that the BJP is bringing baseless issues to the forefront with malicious intent to cover up its own failures. Corruption is rampant in the country, inflation has increased, unemployment has risen, and people are being burdened with indiscriminate taxes, turning India into a debt-ridden nation, he said.

The Chief Minister said that when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, the country’s debt stood at around Rs 53.11 lakh crore. After Narendra Modi came to power, the debt crossed Rs 200 lakh crore. Over the last 11 years of the Narendra Modi government, the debt has increased by Rs 148 lakh crore. To conceal these failures, the BJP is resorting to false cases against Congress leaders, he alleged.

Siddaramaiah said PM Modi had promised to create two crore jobs every year after coming to power, at a time when unemployment was rising. He also promised to bring back black money from abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account. None of these promises has been fulfilled, he said. Petrol, diesel, and cooking gas prices have skyrocketed, and to divert public attention from these issues, the BJP is focusing on false cases, he alleged.

He said the National Herald newspaper was started in 1937 by Jawaharlal Nehru to create awareness among people about the freedom struggle and that it is an asset of the Congress party. Later, the newspaper was taken over by the Young Indian company. A case was registered against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, and Oscar Fernandes, and an ED probe was initiated. Subramanian Swamy had filed the case in 2012. Now, the trial court has rejected the charge sheet filed by the ED, thereby upholding justice, he said.

Siddaramaiah criticised the BJP for renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as VB-G RaM scheme and changing Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan. These are government properties, and renaming them is inappropriate, he said, adding that the BJP is focused only on changing names rather than implementing schemes that benefit the poor.

He said the BJP, which does not respect the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, has no concern for the poor. The BJP does not support any welfare schemes meant for the poor and has opposed the guarantee schemes introduced in Karnataka. However, the same party is now replicating these welfare schemes across the country, he alleged.

–IANS

mka/dpb