PATNA — Tension escalated in Patna on Friday as Congress Youth workers staged a “rail-roko” protest, disrupting train services at the Secretariat Halt station.
The protest was in response to the Enforcement Directorate’s charge sheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case.
Wielding banners and shouting slogans like “Gandhi is not afraid of anyone”, demonstrators even climbed onto the engine of a halted train, bringing railway operations to a standstill.
The railway gate was closed during the protest, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and vehicular traffic.
Security personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) were deployed to manage the situation and attempted to remove the protesters.
However, the protest continued for some time, leading to widespread disruption and chaos in the area. The railway crossing was also blocked at Gardanibagh, leading to a heavy traffic jam in the region.
The commuters faced tough times in the intense heat.
The Congress party called the ED’s move an act of “political vendetta”, especially with the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 approaching.
They argue that the timing of the ED’s charge sheet is suspicious, coinciding with Rahul’s recent visit to Gujarat, a two-day national Congress convention and the start of the election cycle in Bihar.
The ED has reportedly initiated the process to seize assets worth over Rs 700 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), a company linked to the Gandhis.
Congress leaders maintain that this is a “deliberate” attempt by the Centre to distract from its “failures” on key national issues.
Earlier on April 16, Congress workers led by its state president Rajesh Ram and in-charge Krishna Allavaru gathered in large numbers at the Income Tax roundabout in Patna, raising slogans and protesting against what they called “politically motivated” action by the Central government.
The National Herald was founded in 1938 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to voice the concerns of the Indian National Congress during India’s freedom movement. –IANS
