Agartala, May 18: Members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) in Tripura staged a protest in Agartala on Sunday, condemning the alleged obstruction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bihar by the state police under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protest was sparked by an incident in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, where Rahul Gandhi was reportedly stopped from interacting with students from backward communities at the Ambedkar Hostel. The meeting was part of his ‘Shiksha, Nyay Samvad’ outreach initiative and had to be rescheduled following police intervention.
Tripura Youth Congress president Neel Kamal Saha led the protest, criticizing the BJP-JDU alliance for what he termed an attempt to “suppress the voice of the marginalized.” Protesters burned effigies of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, raising slogans against the alleged misuse of power and police force to stifle democratic rights.
“This protest is our response to the undemocratic actions taken against Rahul Gandhi, who has always stood with the poor, the backward, and the oppressed. The Bihar government’s actions are not just political suppression but an attack on the constitutional right to free speech and assembly,” Saha said.
The protest also comes in the backdrop of two FIRs lodged against Rahul Gandhi and over 100 Congress workers for allegedly organizing the Darbhanga event without prior permission. The IYC strongly defended Gandhi, with its president branding him as a “Nyay Warrior” who continues to fight for justice and equality despite legal threats.
Saha warned that the Congress would not be intimidated and would continue its fight for the rights of marginalized communities across the country.
