New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday staged a nationwide ‘maun satyagraha’ to protest Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Parliament and asserted that no one can silence him or the party.

The former Congress chief was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 24 after a Surat court convicted him in a 2019 defamation case over his “Modi surname” remarks. He represented Kerala’s Wayanad in the Lower House of Parliament.

The party had on Friday said it will move the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Gandhi’s conviction.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said the party held the nationwide ‘maun satyagraha (silent protest)’ in which every worker and leader opposed the “unfair and undemocratic” disqualification of Gandhi.  “Rahul Gandhi is not just a politician, he is a people’s leader. No force can silence him or the Congress,” Venugopal said.

“We will continue to fight every act of injustice at the hands of the BJP government, and we are confident that the truth will ultimately triumph,” he said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot targeted the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, saying there is a conspiracy to put pressure on people who advocate democracy and expose those in power.

The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister took part in the silent protest organised in Jaipur.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the BJP tried to suppress the voice of Gandhi and ended up losing in the Himachal Pradesh and the Karnataka assembly elections.

The same will repeat in the upcoming state elections as well, Randhawa said in Jaipur.

Senior Congress leaders, MLAs, and party workers in Madhya Pradesh staged a “silent” protest in Bhopal in support of Gandhi.

The “democracy disqualified” agitation held at the Madhya Pradesh Congress headquarters was led by state unit chief Kamal Nath.

“Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha membership through a devious step by the BJP, but he is always ahead in fighting his battle with truth and courage against the misuse of power and raising the issues of people,” the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed that the BJP-led government at the Centre was scared of Gandhi because of the enthusiastic response his nationwide foot march — Bharat Jodo Yatra — had generated and was, therefore, trying to “suppress” his voice.

He said the BJP-led government was under pressure following the Congress’ performance in some of the recent state polls.

Baghel was speaking with reporters after participating in the “maun satyagraha” in Raipur along with party leaders and members.

Expressing solidarity with Gandhi and protesting against his disqualification from Parliament, senior Congress leaders and scores of party workers also observed ‘maun satyagraha’ in Thiruvananthapuram.

They gathered in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Park and observed silence till evening. The demonstrators alleged that Gandhi was “erroneously” convicted in a defamation case and disqualified from Lok Sabha.

Led by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran, the protest was attended by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, MPs and presidents of various district congress committees besides party workers.

Senior Congress leaders and party workers in Gujarat staged the “silent” protest outside the Sabarmati Ashram to express solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.

Newly appointed Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil, legislative party leader Amit Chavda, senior leaders Bharatsinh Solanki and Siddharth Patel along with hundreds of party workers had gathered outside the ashram.

The protesters held placards with messages like, “Rahul Gandhi Says, Don’t Be Afraid”, “Desh Ki Shaan mein, Deshbhakt Maidaan Mein” and “Na Darenge, Na Jhukenge”.

They claimed the BJP has broken all norms of democracy to keep Gandhi out of Parliament.  Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar along with a host of ministers, legislators and Congress leaders staged the protest in Bengaluru.

The protestors tied a black ribbon on their mouth to symbolically convey that the freedom of speech was in danger and anyone speaking against the central government would face backlash.

Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and others held placards at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru with a photograph of Gandhi and a message that the “roar of the truth must prevail”.

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress also held the “silent protest” and party leaders and workers took part in the protest both in Jammu and Srinagar.

West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury held the silent protest in Kolkata to express solidarity with party leader Gandhi.

Sporting black bands on their arms, Chowdhury along with party colleagues gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing in the central part of the city and started the ‘maun satyagraha’.

Venugopal had said on Tuesday that due to the prevailing flood situation, the “maun Satyagraha” planned in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will be held on July 16.