Jammu: Some BJP supporters entered into a verbal dual with the protesting Congress activists in Jammu on Wednesday, but police intervened and brought the situation under control. The Jammu and Kashmir Congress held protests against the alleged vindictive action and harassment of the party's top leadership by the central government.
Led by J-K Congress working president and former minister Raman Bhalla, a large number of party leaders and activists took out an anti-government rally in the Bahu Fort area of the city and raised slogans against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Centre. Similarly, Congress activists took out a protest rally at Banihal in Ramban district against Sonia Gandhi's appearance before the ED. The protest was led by former MLA Viqar Rasool.
Police stopped the protestors on Banihal hospital road and did not allow them to move towards the national highway. Congress leaders also condemned the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders by the Delhi Police on Tuesday. The protestors also torched effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said the BJP-led central government is harassing top Congress leaders by implicating them in "false" cases. They called Rahul Gandhi for five days, now they have called Sonia Gandhi for the third time. The ED has created terror in the country, he said.
The ED on Wednesday questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi for over three hours on the third day of her deposition in the National Herald newspaper-linked money laundering case, officials said. Party leader Rahul Gandi was earlier questioned by the federal agency in the case. Bhalla said by resorting to harassment in the garb of money laundering cases, the central government is stirring a hornet's nest for which the BJP and its leaders will have to pay a heavy price.
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He accused the government of using its agencies as tools against the opposition leaders. "It is an irony that without registration of an FIR or presence of money transaction records or evidence, the enforcement directorate is making every effort to book the reputed senior leaders of the Congress. In such situation and circumstances, how it can be a money laundering case," Bhalla said.
He said laws should not be weaponised to target and humiliate. The Modi sarkar has unleashed a relentless campaign of vendetta against its political opponents and critics through the mischievous misuse of investigative agencies, he added. In Kathua district, Congress activists held protests and sat on a dharna for a few hours.
Some BJP supporters entered into a verbal dual with the protesting Congress activists, but police intervened and brought the situation under control. Similarly, Congress activists took out a protest rally at Banihal in Ramban district against Sonia Gandhi's appearance before the ED. The protest was led by former MLA Viqar Rasool.
Police stopped the protestors on Banihal hospital road and did not allow them to move towards the national highway. Congress leaders also condemned the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders by the Delhi Police on Tuesday. (Agency inputs)
