Vadodara : Congress Protest Crushed Over Harni Boat Tragedy Mistreatment

Vadodara, Gujarat – The Vadodara police detained over 20 Congress workers, including key city leaders, as they assembled for a Satyagraha protest against the alleged mistreatment of grieving mothers from the Harni boat tragedy. The crackdown has sparked outrage from Congress leaders who accused the BJP government of suppressing democratic dissent in Gandhi’s Gujarat.

The protest was organized by the Vadodara City Congress at Gandhi Nagargruha, where workers and leaders intended to peacefully highlight the inhumane treatment faced by two women who lost their children in the Harni boat capsizing tragedy. However, before the gathering could take shape, police convoys—including Crime Branch personnel, Raopura Police, and senior officers—arrived in full force.

“Even Gandhi’s ideology is not safe in Gandhi’s Gujarat anymore,” said Vadodara Congress President Rutwij Joshi, who was also detained. “When the Chief Minister visited Vadodara, mothers of the deceased children were not even granted an audience. Instead, they were insulted, accused of having a political agenda, and taken away like criminals. This is not governance—this is tyranny.”

The incident referenced by Joshi occurred when two women—mothers of children who died in the Harni boat tragedy—attempted to meet Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. They were reportedly rebuked and detained for three hours by Crime Branch officers. The protest was aimed at demanding justice and respect for those grieving families.

Congress leaders also recalled a similar instance where women protesting poor water conditions in the Sama area were manhandled. “This pattern of police abuse against women is deeply troubling,” said Joshi. “Is this how the BJP honors its ‘Beti Bachao’ slogan?”

Despite seeking permission for the Satyagraha, police denied entry and began detaining protesters as they arrived. Videos circulating online show officers physically dragging workers away, with one Congress member heard shouting, “This is not a democracy, this is a dictatorship!”

As a symbolic act of resistance, Congress workers shifted their protest to Atladara Police Station, where they sat in protest following their detention.

“The BJP burns effigies of Rahul Gandhi in public with no consequences, but peaceful Congress workers are arrested before they can even speak,” Joshi said. “The BJP fears the truth—and that’s why they hide behind the police.”