Youth Congress hits Delhi-Gurgaon expressway to protest Rahul Gandhi Lok Sabha disqualification, 4 detained

GURGAON: Four members of the Haryana Youth Congress, including its president, were detained on Saturday for trying to block the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway in protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Gujarat court in a defamation case.
The police action followed when the protesters set a few tyres on fire. Led by president Divyanshu Budhiraja, the Youth Congress workers sat in the middle of the expressway and disrupted traffic on both the carriageways.
“The government wants to keep Rahul ji out of Parliament and stop him from raising questions on unemployment,” Budhiraja said.
Budhiraja and three others were detained. They were released after an hour.
Ajay Yadav, former minister and chairman of the Congress OBC cell, attacked BJP on Rahul’s disqualification, saying the party was acting out of fear.
He countered allegations by BJP that a remark made by Rahul on the Modi surname was an insult to the OBCs, saying he did not consider PM Modi an OBC.
“The BJP-ruled states have denied reservation to OBCs in the panchayat elections. The 2011 caste census data is not public to date, and the caste census due in 2022 did not happen,” said Yadav, who also listed the work done by Congress for OBCs.
“Rahul Gandhi was raising uncomfortable questions on Adani, the economy, price rise and communal hatred. He was becoming popular among the masses,” he added.
Fielded by BJP to counter the charges, parliamentary board member Sudha Yadav said the disqualification of Rahul was in keeping with the judicial process and neither BJP nor the Centre had any role in it.
“The conduct of Rahul, in this case, shows his arrogance... Even the SC had advised him to be careful while making statements.”
Responding to questions on whether the disqualification would help Rahul emerge as an acceptable leader of a combined opposition, Sudha Yadav said “fear” was bringing the opposition together, but it would not work out because the parties had ideological differences.
“Those who have done wrong are now fearful of facing action. Out of fear, they are joining hands on the issue of disqualification with Congress,” she added.