Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 17 (NationPress) The Congress party in Karnataka organized a statewide demonstration on Wednesday, denouncing the purported filing of false charges against their senior leaders, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, related to the National Herald case.

All MLAs and MLCs congregated in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue within the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, under the guidance of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar. Similar demonstrations took place across the state at district headquarters and taluk centres.

While addressing the gathering at the Suvarna Soudha premises, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that protests would occur both inside and outside the legislature in favor of the court's ruling concerning the National Herald case.

He accused the BJP of engaging in a politics of hatred and attempting to tarnish Congress leaders' images by fabricating charges against them. He claimed that the BJP's conspiracy has been unveiled, as the court has delivered justice in the National Herald case.

He mentioned that protests would be organized throughout the state and nation against the BJP’s conspiratorial tactics. The Congress party is not one that will remain silent, he asserted, emphasizing that it was the grand old party that secured the country's independence, whereas the BJP had no part in the freedom struggle and is now engaged in divisive politics.

Siddaramaiah endorsed the court's decision to dismiss the charge sheet submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The CM remarked that the BJP is indulging in vindictive politics. Whether at the national level or in states governed by the BJP, Congress leaders are being intentionally targeted, depicted as criminals, and summoned to court.

He alleged that the BJP is raising unfounded issues to obscure its own failures. Corruption is widespread in the country, inflation is rising, unemployment is increasing, and citizens are burdened with excessive taxes, turning India into a debt-ridden nation, he stated.

The Chief Minister pointed out that under Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, the nation’s debt stood at approximately Rs 53.11 lakh crore. However, after Narendra Modi assumed power, the debt soared past Rs 200 lakh crore. Over the past 11 years of the Modi administration, the debt has escalated by Rs 148 lakh crore. To mask these failures, the BJP is fabricating charges against Congress leaders, he claimed.

Siddaramaiah noted that PM Modi had vowed to generate two crore jobs annually when he took office, amidst rising unemployment. He also pledged to recover black money from abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh into each citizen's bank account. None of these promises have materialized, he lamented. Prices of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas have surged, and to divert public attention from these pressing issues, the BJP is fixating on false cases, he alleged.

He reminded attendees that the National Herald newspaper was founded in 1937 by Jawaharlal Nehru to raise public awareness about the freedom struggle, and it serves as an asset of the Congress party. Later, the newspaper was taken over by the Young Indian company. A case was initiated against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, and Oscar Fernandes, triggering an ED investigation. Subramanian Swamy lodged the case in 2012. The trial court has now rejected the charge sheet filed by the ED, thereby affirming justice, he concluded.

Siddaramaiah criticized the BJP for renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to the VB-G RaM scheme and changing Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan. He asserted that these are government properties, and altering their names is inappropriate, adding that the BJP prioritizes name changes over implementing schemes that genuinely aid the poor.

He stated that the BJP, which does not honor the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, shows no concern for the impoverished. The BJP has opposed welfare schemes designed for the poor in Karnataka, yet the same party is now replicating these initiatives across the nation, he alleged.