Kharge, Priyanka to participate in ‘Maun Satyagrah’ in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge along with several senior leaders of the party will lead the ‘Maun Satyagrah’ protest against the Gujarat High Court’s order upholding Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case over the use of the ‘Modi surname’ in the national capital on Sunday, sources said.

The party had organised ‘Maun Satyagrah’ (silent protest) against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi across the country on July 12 at the state capital across the country.

However, Maun Satyagrah in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh was postponed for Sunday in wake of heavy rainfall and flood like situation.

The party source said that Kharge will join the ‘Maun Satyagrah’ at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi on Sunday, which will be organised by IYC, Mahila Congress and the Delhi unit of the party.

Besides Kharge, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and others will join the ‘Maun Satyagrah’ at Jantar Mantar.

On last Friday, the Gujarat HC dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s plea to stay his conviction and two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case that cost him his membership as Lok Sabha MP.

On March 23 this year, he was convicted by a Surat district court in the Modi surname case and was also sentenced to two years in jail. A day later, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha as a convicted politician cannot remain a parliamentarian.

Following the district court order Rahul Gandhi approached the Surat sessions court for a stay on his conviction, but on April 20, the Sessions court rejected his plea.

The former Lok Sabha MP then on April 25 appealed to the Gujarat High Court challenging the Surat sessions court order. The high court refused to grant any interim relief to Rahul Gandhi in May and said the final order will be passed after the summer vacation.

Rahul Gandhi had also vacated his official bungalow at 12 Tughlaq Lane on April 22.