Congress protests in black clothes, Amit Shah says message against Ram Temple | 10 Points

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Congress protest: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed the Congress party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi for protesting in the national capital wearing black clothes saying the party chose August 5 as it was Ram Temple anniversary. Issues of ED, price rise only excuses, Cong especially chose black clothes because August 5 is Ram temple ceremony anniversary, Amit Shah said adding it was a message against Ram temple foundation-stone laying by PM Modi on this day in 2020. However, Congress dismissed as 'bogus' Amit Shah linking its protests to Ram temple foundation day, saying its stir against price rise has clearly hit home. Desperate attempt to divert, polarise, give malicious twist, the party said. Wearing black clothes, Congress leaders hit the streets on Friday to protest against price rise and unemployment with a host of them, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, being detained by police amid dramatic standoffs outside Parliament and the AICC headquarters. Congress MPs, including former party chief Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex and then proceeded to take out a march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan as part of the party's nationwide stir against price rise, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike on essential items and unemployment.

1. Till now, Congress was protesting in normal attire but today they protested wearing black clothes. It's an insult to Ram Bhakts. They chose this day as today's Ayodhya Diwas which marks the beginning of the construction of Ram Janambhoomi, said UP CM Yogi Adityanath. Such acts of the Congress party have insulted the faith of India. Congress' attitude has insulted Ayodhya Diwas along with insulting India's democracy and judiciary. We condemn such acts of the party, he said.
2. Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi were among the 64 MPs detained and taken away from Vijay Chowk in a police bus, party sources said.
3. Talking to reporters at Vijay Chowk, Rahul Gandhi said, "We are here to raise the issue of price rise." He also said "democracy is being murdered". Asked if the MPs were manhandled, he answered in the affirmative. "Our job is to resist these forces, our job is to ensure that democracy in India is protected, our job is to raise the issues of people. We are doing that," the former Congress chief said. He alleged that some of the party MPs were even "beaten up" by police.
4. Posting pictures from the protest at Vijay Chowk, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Democracy is a memory." Earlier, in a tweet in Hindi, he said, "This dictatorial government is scared." From the condition of India, from the back-breaking inflation and historic unemployment, from the ruin brought by his policies, the one who is afraid of the truth threatens those who raise their voice!"
5. Several Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, wore black shirts, black kurtas or black bands on their arms. Also dressed in black, Priyanka Gandhi staged a sit-in protest outside the AICC headquarters.
6. She jumped across the police barricades put up on the road outside the party headquarters and squatted on the road, with the police personnel asking her to move from there as section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is in force in the entire area of New Delhi district except Jantar Mantar.
7. Amid dramatic scenes outside the AICC headquarters, the Congress general secretary was forcibly put in a vehicle by police and taken away.
8. In a video shot inside a police vehicle and shared by the Congress with reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said, "They think that by putting up a show of power, they can silence us and force us into a compromise. Why will we do that?"
9. "Their ministers cannot see the price rise, so we wanted to walk to the prime minister's house and show him the high inflation, show him the gas cylinder the price of which is sky high," she said.
10. "There is no inflation for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi-ji. He has given away the country's wealth to a few people.... Only those few people have become very rich, but the common man is suffering. They have a lot of money, they cannot see the price rise. Flour, rice, cooking gas -- everything has become expensive," Priyanka Gandhi said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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