By Saiyed Moziz Imam Zaidi
New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS): The Congress protest on Friday was intense in Delhi with the top leadership of the party courting arrest and even Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi being detained. The Congress's nationwide protest may have resonated with the masses but could not involve them despite the party making a strong pitch over the issues of inflation and rising unemployment.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi even rebuked the media and said they are working under duress. "The idea is that people's issues, whether they are price rise, unemployment, violence in society; people's issues must not be raised that is the sole agenda of the government and the government is being run to protect the interests of 4 or 5 people, and the government, this dictatorship is being run in the interest of two or three big business people by two people."
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that people should come out and support the cause as, "democracy is being suffocated and now it's time that people should come out."
Rahul Gandhi said that they are attacked because, "I understand one thing very clearly, the more I raise people's issues, the more I tell the truth in front of you, the more I will be attacked by the government, it is a simple thing."
He said that he will be the happiest person if he is arrested. But the point is that inflation is affecting every household but people are not coming with the Congress and have not joined any mass protest. A senior Congress leader said that the masses only connect when they are not afraid, now the situation is that people are afraid of the system, see what happened with the protestors against Agnipath where many are facing legal cases.
The Congress said that the party has been asking for a discussion on price rise but no discussion was allowed. Practically no discussion is allowed in Parliament. Chinese troops came into India, they occupied Indian land, no discussion is allowed. The party wants to raise the issue of unemployment, but no discussion is allowed.
"We demolish the government every single time we have a discussion in Parliament. You are aware of it. They don't want discussion, they can't face discussion, that's the truth and this is not only a Congress issue, they cannot face a discussion with any opposition party," Rahul Gandhi said.
After the Delhi police registered an FIR against Congress workers for allegedly obstructing and injuring police personnel during their protest march in the national capital, the party said that this is the reason people are not coming. However, they will give their mandate to the party which is fighting for the cause.
About 65 Congress lawmakers, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained at Vijay Chowk, close to Parliament, while a total of 335 protesters were detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act in order to maintain law and order in the area.