The State unit of the Congress party on Sunday launched a ‘Halla Bol’ campaign protesting against the disqualification of its leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.
Earlier in the day, the leaders of the grand old party staged a sit-in at the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Later, a rally under the leadership of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Sarat Pattanayak was taken out.
In a bid to control the situation, the police took OPCC President Pattanayak, Jatni MLA Suresh Routray, former OPCC Presidents Prasad Harichandan and Jayadev Jena and some other workers into preventive detention.
“We all are standing behind Rahul Gandhi. We will teach a befitting lesson to the government. In the coming days, if the harassment on him increases, the OPCC will not sit idly. We will intensify in rural as well as urban areas. The government will be responsible for this,” said OPCC President Sarat Pattanayak.
Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik said, “Congress leaders have sacrificed their lives for this country. Today they are in a depressed state. So we, in association with other parties, are determined to do everything to save the democracy.”
In this regard, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was yet to come out with its reactions.