Congress Leaders Detained During Protest Against MGNREGA Renaming and ED Actions in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: A wave of dissent swept through Mangaluru on Monday as Congress leaders and workers staged a protest against the speculated alteration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) and voiced strong condemnation against the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The demonstration culminated in the detention of several prominent Congress figures as they attempted to lay siege to the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office.
The protest, orchestrated near the Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte, was spearheaded by AICC Working Committee member and former Member of Parliament, Vijay Inder Singla. Singla addressed the assembled party members, articulating the Congress’s firm opposition to what they perceive as a deliberate scheme orchestrated by the BJP-led central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to exploit the ED in the ongoing National Herald case targeting senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Following the initial assembly, Congress leaders and a multitude of party workers embarked on a planned march with the intention of staging a ‘dharna’, a form of peaceful protest, directly in front of the BJP district headquarters. Their strategy included an attempted siege of the BJP office situated near PVS. Law enforcement officials, however, intervened at Mallikatte Circle, effectively halting the procession. The protesting leaders were subsequently taken into custody and transported from the scene in police vehicles.
Among those participating in the demonstration were Legislative Council members Dr. Manjunath Bhandary and Ivan D’Souza, former minister B. Ramanath Rai, district Congress president Harish Kumar, and former MLA J. R. Lobo. The ranks of protesters also included senior party leaders M. A. Gafur, Inayat Ali, Sadashiva Ullal, K. Ashraf, Shalet Pinto, Appi, Abdul Rauf, Suresh Ballal, M. S. Muhammad, Shashidhar Hegde, and S. Appi, accompanied by hundreds of dedicated party workers.
The Congress party has yet to release an official statement regarding the detentions and potential further actions. The incident underscores the escalating political tensions surrounding the MGNREGA scheme and the perceived impartiality of federal investigative agencies.