Congress protests alleged police harassment of Kalol taluka panchayat members

Gandhinagar: Congress legislators today staged a protest outside the state assembly, holding placards, after the speech by President of India, Draupadi Murmu, concluded on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Gujarat Assembly. The MLAs protested against the alleged use of force by the police against elected members of the Taluka Panchayat of Kalol.

The Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil, in a tweet, claimed, “Police are taking away Congress members of the Taluka Panchayat of Kalol because Congress has the majority. Today is the voting day. Watch the video. Amidst the ongoing elections for the President and Vice President of the Taluka and District Panchayat, the Police have been harassing Congress members since last night.”

कलोल के तालुक़ा पंचायत के कांग्रेस सदस्यों को पुलिस उतारकर उठाकर ले जा रही है क्योंकि बहुमत कांग्रेस के पास है । आज वोटिंग है । देखो वीडियो । तालुक़ा और ज़िला पंचायत के अध्यक्ष और उपाध्यक्ष के चुनाव में पुलिस कल रात से कांग्रेस सदस्यों को परेशान कर रही है । @Bhupendrapbjp जी अगर… pic.twitter.com/lXhVK30CWz

— Shaktisinh Gohil MP (@shaktisinhgohil) September 13, 2023

Tagging CM Bhupendra Patel, Gohel further stated that if this action is not stopped, we will submit a memorandum to the President in Gandhinagar, who is currently in the state. Why is the police harassing the members of Kalol or Sehore? he added.

कलोल के तालुक़ा पंचायत के कांग्रेस सदस्यों को पुलिस बस से उतारकर उठाकर ले जा रही है क्योंकि बहुमत कांग्रेस के पास है । आज वोटिंग है । देखो वीडियो । तालुक़ा और ज़िला पंचायत के अध्यक्ष और उपाध्यक्ष के चुनाव में पुलिस कल रात से कांग्रेस सदस्यों को परेशान कर रही है । @Bhupendrapbjp… pic.twitter.com/PNQWjPyCSo

— Shaktisinh Gohil MP (@shaktisinhgohil) September 13, 2023

The state Congress president alleged that three of their elected members were taken away by the police on the election day, which is today. Gohil further went on to say that the party will move to the Supreme Court of India over this issue.The Kalol Taluka Panchayat is witnessing the election of officers after two and a half terms have been completed.

Commenting on the protests staged by the Congress party MLAs, Cabinet Minister Rushikesh Patel said, “The office of the speaker had informed the MLAs that there is a solemn program in the assembly, and we all shall participate in that. We also invited Shaktisinh ji and gave him a suitable place in the assembly… the nation was present (symbolically) in from of the President, who holds the topmost position in the country, here today at a proud occasion of launching e-Vidhan. The Congress party again and again embarrasses the state, but today I say it with very much sorrow that the action of three Congress MLAs who did not stand in welcoming the President is unfortunate.”

“Even if they wanted to protest anything, they could have done it during the four days of the session, but they have again hurt the pride of Gujarat,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has won the Kalol Taluka Panchayat. Babitaben Sakriya has been elected as the Pramukh of Kalol Taluka Panchayat, and Arpit Patel has been elected as her Deputy (Up Pramukh). Earlier, the Congress party was ruling in the Taluka Panchayat here for two and a half years.DeshGujarat