New Delhi:

The Congress announced today that as a mark of protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, on July 12, its workers and leaders will hold “maun satyagraha” near Mahatma Gandhi statues in every state capital.

In a statement, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said Mr Gandhi has been the strongest and most vocal opponent of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.

“We believe that the truth, and our commitment for the genuine welfare of every Indian, speaks loud and clear, no matter what tactics the BJP-RSS will deploy against us or our leaders. India will not allow such fascist forces to go on for too long,” he said.

The Congress on Friday had said it will move the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Mr Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remarks, and alleged that the government is finding newer techniques to throttle his voice.

Undeterred, Gandhi has remained steadfast in his resolve to take on the ruling regime, Mr Venugopal said. Even outside Parliament, he remains the voice of the people and the leader who people can trust, he said.

“As a result, not just the Congress, but the entire country is agitated at his wrongful and vindictive disqualification,” he claimed.

“We appeal to 140 crore Indians, regardless of affiliation, to stand with the forces of justice and liberty, to stand up against this muting of democracy,” the Congress general secretary said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)