FIR against Rahul Gandhi: Congress workers stage protests in Mangaluru, Udupi

FIR against Rahul Gandhi: Congress workers stage protests in Mangaluru, Udupi

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru/Udupi, September 2, 2026: Congress leaders and workers staged protests in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Tuesday, condemning the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

The FIR was registered after Gandhi raised his voice against the alleged ‘purification’ of a venue in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following a rally attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Protest in Mangaluru

The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee organised a protest near the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) office at Lalbagh in Mangaluru. Congress workers raised slogans against what they described as the BJP’s politics of hatred.

Addressing the protesters, district in-charge minister U.T. Khader said the people of the country would not forgive BJP leaders who allegedly insulted the Dalit community by ‘purifying’ a place where senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge had delivered a speech.

“This incident has brought shame to India at the global level. Instead of taking action against those who insulted constitutional values, an FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, who raised his voice in defence of the Constitution and the country’s culture,” Khader said.

He said the Gandhi family could never be separated from the people of India and recalled the sacrifices of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi for maintaining peace and national unity.

“Rahul Gandhi will never bow to the threats or criticism of the BJP. He will continue to raise his voice for the people and the Constitution. No one can prevent him from becoming the Prime Minister in the future,” Khader said.

Legislative Council member Ivan D’Souza alleged that the BJP government was resorting to divisive politics to cover up its failures and divert public attention.

“Attempts to divide society in the name of caste and religion are extremely dangerous. Cases are being registered against Opposition leaders in an attempt to suppress voices of dissent. The Congress will never yield to such threats,” he said.

Dakshina Kannada District Congress president K. Harish Kumar and District Mahila Congress president Appi also addressed the protesters.

Former minister B. Ramanath Rai, Shashidhar Hegde, Shalet Pinto, Santosh Kumar Shetty, Prakash Salyan, Mohan Kotyan Mulki, Bharat Mundodi, Surendra Kambli, Padmanabha Kotyan, K.P. Thomas, K. Harinath Jogi, Shahul Hameed, Neeraj Chandrapal, Joachim D’Souza, Naveen D’Souza, Lukman Bantwal, Lawrence D’Souza, Vasanth Bernard, Abubakkar Kulur, Premanath P.B., Dinesh Mulur, Lancy Loto Pinto, Malar Monu, Abbas Ali, T.K. Sudheer, Girish Shetty, Dennis D’Silva, Shubhodaya Alva, Shamshuddin Kulur, Melvin D’Souza, Shabeer S., Padmanabha Amin, Airport Khader, M.P. Manuraj, Bhaskar Rao, Ramananda Poojary, Suhan Alva, U.T. Fareed Iftikhar, Geetha Attavar, Chandrakala Jogi, Sarika Poojary, Neethu D’Souza and others were present.

Congress protest in Udupi

In Udupi, Congress leaders and workers took out a march from the Congress Bhavan at Brahmagiri to Brahmagiri Circle. They raised slogans against the Union and Uttarakhand governments and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing the gathering, senior thinker Dr Gan anath Ekkar said the alleged ‘purification’ of the venue where Mallikarjun Kharge had spoken amounted to an insult to a leader holding one of the country’s highest constitutional positions.

“If such an incident can happen to a national leader, it is difficult to imagine the situation of ordinary Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in the country,” he said.

He warned that if such practices continued, cases could eventually be registered against anyone who raised their voice against untouchability.

“Developments that weaken the basic constitutional values of liberty, equality, social justice and fraternity are taking place in the country,” he said.

Ekkar alleged that no action had been taken against those accused of practising untouchability in connection with the Kharge incident, while a case was registered against those who questioned it.

“This makes it clear that the government is misusing the administrative machinery,” he alleged.

Coastal Development Board chairman M.A. Gafoor said the Union and Uttarakhand governments had acted with disregard for democratic values and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against Rahul Gandhi.

Congress spokesperson Veronica Cornelio alleged that the foundations of democracy had weakened since the Narendra Modi government came to power.

“The government is making continuous attempts to suppress the voice of the Constitution. The Centre has begun to fear Rahul Gandhi, who is increasingly attracting the attention of young people. This FIR is an attempt to silence his voice,” she said.

Congress leaders Ramesh Kanchan, Prakhyath Shetty, Jyothi Hebbar, Suresh Shetty Bannanje, Satish Kodavoor, Dayananda P., Ganesh Nergi, Krishna Shetty Bajagoli and Shashidhar Shetty Ermal, among others, participated in the Udupi protest.