Sri Vijaya Puram, October 9: The Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC) held a Black Day protest in Sri Vijaya Puram on October 8 over the alleged manhandling of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi by police in Delhi, with the rally also raising questions about police action on a separate complaint concerning alleged fake Form-7 submissions in the islands.
Organised on the direction of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the protest began at Congress office Gandhi Bhawan and proceeded towards the Clock Tower via the Gandhi Statue. Police placed barricades near the statue to stop the demonstrators, leading to a confrontation between the protesters and police.
ANTCC president Rangalal Halder assigned the responsibility of organising the demonstration to TSG Bhasker, chairman of the committee’s Campaign Committee, who led the rally alongside Congress leaders, office-bearers and workers.
The party said the demonstration formed part of a nationwide Black Day protest against what it described as the treatment of Gandhi in the national capital. The protest followed an incident in Delhi on October 7, during which Gandhi was allegedly manhandled and roughed up by police, according to the protest notice issued by the party.
During the demonstration, Bhasker also raised the issue of an FIR concerning alleged fake Form-7 submissions by BJP workers in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He questioned the police authorities’ response to the matter and demanded action in accordance with the law.
The rally brought together several leaders from the territorial, district and organisational wings of the Congress. Participants included district president John Robert, City Congress president Mohd. Zubair, Mahila Congress state president Zubaida Begum, Youth Congress state president Diksha Dular and NSUI state president M.A. Sajid.
Other participants included Minority Department chairman Saji Varghese, RGPRS chairman O. Bashir, OBC Department chairman R.K. Raj and Fishermen Congress chairman Laxmi Narayan. AICC and Territorial Congress Committee members, block and mandal presidents, councillors, Panchayati Raj Institution members and other party workers also joined the protest.
The demonstration combined the party’s objection to the reported incident involving Gandhi in Delhi with its demand for action on the Form-7 complaint in the islands. The allegations concerning the submissions and the police response were raised by Congress representatives during the protest.
