Sonia, Rahul, Kharge to address rally in Nagpur on Congress foundation day on Dec 28

Pics/AICC

Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with incumbent party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will address a rally in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on December 28, on the occasion of the grand old party's foundation day, a senior leader said on Friday.

A meeting of senior Congress leaders in Maharashtra is currently underway here in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and senior leader Mukul Wasnik.

The meeting is being attended by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, former state minister Balasaheb Thorat, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithrviraj Chavan among others.

Talking to reporters, Venugopal said, "On the occasion of Congress's foundation day on December 28, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and its former chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will address a huge rally in Nagpur."

The winter session of the Maharashtra legislature is currently underway in Nagpur.

Meanwhile, opposition INDIA alliance leaders staged a protest near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex on Friday, a day after 14 MPs were suspended.

While Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, 13 opposition MPs, including nine from the Congress and the DMK's Kanimozhi, were suspended from the Lok Sabha.

O'Brien joined the opposition MPs wearing a T-shirt saying he was on a 'silent protest'.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also joined the protesters in their demonstration.

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The suspended MPs held placards saying they were suspended for speaking up, while the "culprit BJP MP" roamed free. The Congress has been demanding strict action against BJP MP Pratap Simha who provided the visitor passes to the intruders.

The protesting MPs also demanded that their suspensions be revoked.

"Suspension and expulsion is nothing new for this government, last week Mahua Moitra got expelled. This week, the BJP MP from Mysore who issued the passes for the intruders is moving freely, and I and my colleagues have been suspended for raising the voice of the people of India, a very genuine demand that the home minister and the prime minister should speak in Parliament," said Hibi Eden, one of the MPs who was suspended from the Lok Sabha.

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day amid opposition protests.

Congress MPs T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas, Dean Kuriakose, VK Sreekandan, Benny Behanan, Mohammed Jawaid and Manickam Tagore; CPI-M MP PR Natarajan and S Venkatesan, the DMK's Kanimozhi, and the CPI's K Subbarayan were suspended from Lok Sabha on Thursday for disrupting proceedings.

SR Parthiban of the DMK was also named among the suspended MPs. However, the Lok Sabha later withdrew his suspension as he was not present in the House and his name was included by mistake.

In Rajya Sabha, O'Brien was suspended, and later, a breach of privilege motion was moved against him for staying in the House after his suspension.