Mumbai, Jul 12 (IANS): The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday held a silent demonstration to protest against the targeting of party leader Rahul Gandhi and gave a call to ‘chase away the corrupt Bharatiya Janata Party from power’ in the state and country.

The top Congress brass led by state President Nana Patole, city chief Prof. Varsha Gaikwad and other senior leaders staged a silent demonstration below the statue of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Nariman Point.

Joining the protest were the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Nationalist Congress Party’s general secretary Dr. Jitendra Awhad and MLA Rohit Pawar, grand-nephew of the party chief Sharad Pawar.

After ending the silent protest, the leaders vociferously slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre for vindictively targeting an innocent Rahul Gandhi though he didn’t commit any offence and snatching away his MP-ship and official residence.

“The silent satyagraha is over… Now, we shall start a campaign in the state and the country to chase away the corrupt BJP and force them out of power,” declared Patole.

He pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi had defied the British Rulers through the power of ‘silent Satyagraha’ and it had to finally run away from India, and warned that now the BJP will face the same consequences.

“We are fighting the corruption, tyranny, and dictatorship of the BJP government. The people of the country are watching everything silently and they are seething with rage, and the BJP will be punished for all this,” said Patole.

Congress Legislature Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat said that though the Congress expected justice for Rahul Gandhi from the courts, it seems there are pressures on the entire system.

“While Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra was praised around the world, has been singled out for no reason, the BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh who sexually assaulted the country’s top sportswomen, and with serious other crimes against him, is walking a free man,” thundered Thorat.

He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on Rahul Gandhi’s queries on the Adani Group, and the government’s inability to bring the state of Manipur, in a turmoil for over two months, under control.

On the recent political drama in Maharashtra, Thorat took a swipe at the ruling dispensation, saying that "three people are running the state" – one is the CM (Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena), the other is a ex-CM (Devendra Fadnavis of BJP) and the third is a future-CM (aspirant Dy.CM Ajit Pawar of breakaway NCP).

Prof. Gaikwad said the Congress’ fight is not for power for the truth, raising the peoples’ issues, how central agencies are being misused against political opponents, saving democracy and safeguarding the Constitution of India.

The other top leaders who joined the protest included: M. Arif Naseem Khan, Satej Patil, Dr. Nitin Raut, Kumar Ketkar, Hussain Dalwai, Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar, Sanjay Nirupam, Bhai Jagtap, Wajahat Mirza, Atul Londhe, Raju Waghmare and hundreds of activists from across the state.