Rahul Gandhi's Bengaluru protest deferred to August 8 after Shibu Soren's demise
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala announced the deferral. 'The protest programme will remain unchanged in content but will now be held on August 8,' Surjewala said, flanked by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D K Shivakumar.
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The protest was to focus on the Congress party's allegations of large-scale electoral fraud in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi had earlier claimed that a detailed examination of electoral rolls, digitised by the party, revealed a 'bhayankar chori' (massive theft) of votes. He accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists and 'stealing elections' across the country.
The Congress had planned to hold a massive gathering at Freedom Park, where Gandhi was expected to address party workers and supporters. However, as per the High Court's directives, no processions or rallies will be held on city roads. The protest will be conducted strictly within legal limits, state Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed.
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With the protest now rescheduled to August 8, the Congress intends to continue raising its concerns over alleged electoral malpractice while pausing its political activity briefly to pay respects to a veteran political figure.
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah paid condolences to the family of former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM founder Shibu Soren. In an X post, he wrote, 'Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Shibu Soren — former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, former Union Minister, and a towering figure in India's tribal rights movement. As the founding leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, he dedicated his life to the creation of a separate Jharkhand and the upliftment of Adivasi communities. My heartfelt condolences to Jharkhand CM Shri @HemantSorenJMM, his family, and the people of Jharkhand in this moment of grief.'
(With PTI inputs)
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