Tensions simmered in Karnataka’s twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad this week as Congress party workers and local leaders staged public demonstrations to protest the detention of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. On Wednesday, the situation escalated when several party members conducted a road blockade at Ambedkar Circle in Hubballi, leading to their detention by local police. The activists were subsequently released following the demonstration.
Throughout the protest, party workers raised slogans against the Union government, demanding the immediate release of Mr. Gandhi. The gathering served as a focal point for local Congress leadership to articulate their grievances against the central administration. Addressing the crowd at Ambedkar Circle, the Hubballi-Dharwad (Urban) District Congress president, Sadanand Danganavar, claimed that the government was actively attempting to stifle political dissent.
A significant portion of the frustration voiced by the protesters centered on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Mr. Danganavar alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, was operating under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to influence the process. He further asserted that Mr. Gandhi had previously highlighted data-driven concerns regarding these revisions, only to face ridicule from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“As his allegations are now turning out to be true, the Union government is attempting to silence him by arresting him,” Mr. Danganavar alleged during his address to the protesters. He characterized the detention as a broader effort by the government to suppress the voice of the Opposition, noting that Mr. Gandhi had consistently raised these issues both within the floor of Parliament and in public discourse.
Echoing these sentiments, the Hubballi-Dharwad Rural District Congress president, Chandrashekar Juttal, claimed that the Union government was acting out of an unwillingness to acknowledge its errors. He argued that officials were utilizing state power to intimidate and silence those who posed questions to the ruling party. Mr. Juttal demanded that the current electoral roll revision process be withdrawn immediately as part of the broader call for Mr. Gandhi’s release.
The protest also saw participation from various other prominent local figures, including former Hubballi-Dharwad Urban Development Authority chairman Anwar Mudhol. Other Congress leaders present at the demonstration included Hasim Hindasgeri, Danappa Kabbera, Haji Ali Hindasgeri, Iliyas Maniyar, Arjun Patil, Arif Bhadrapur, Yasin Haveripet, Renuka Kallimani, and Akkamma Kambli.
The momentum of the protest was not limited to Hubballi. Similar scenes unfolded in nearby Dharwad, where Congress workers also took to the streets to voice their opposition and courted arrest. This coordinated effort across the twin cities marked the second consecutive day of unrest, as similar demonstrations had already taken place on Tuesday. The series of protests underscores the deepening rift between the Congress party and the Union government over the sensitive issue of electoral transparency and the treatment of opposition leadership.
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