Congress Workers Detained In Vadodara: Planned Protest Against Mistreatment Of Harni Boat Tragedy Victims’ Mothers
Vadodara: In a show of dissent, the Vadodara unit of the Congress Party attempted to hold a satyagraha protest at Gandhi Nagargruh on May 5, condemning what they called the “inhuman treatment” of two mothers who lost their children in the Harni boat tragedy. However, before the demonstration could even begin, over 20 party workers and leaders were detained by police in a chaotic scene marked by shouting, confusion, and rushed detentions.
The protest stemmed from a recent controversy involving the Chief Minister’s visit to Vadodara. During an official event on April 2, two women, Sarala Shinde and Sandhya Nizama, stood up mid-program to seek justice for the Harni boat incident that killed 14 people, including their children. Instead of being heard, they were reportedly silenced, forcibly removed by police, and held at a crime branch office for nearly three hours. Congress leaders allege the action was taken at the Chief Minister’s direction.
Vadodara Congress President Rutvij Joshi strongly condemned the treatment of the mothers and the police response to the planned protest. “In Gandhi’s Gujarat, Gandhi’s values are being insulted,” he said. “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.”
Despite police presence being ramped up in advance, several bystanders were mistakenly detained, with one man claiming he was only in the area to shop for a wedding. “They grabbed me thinking I was part of the protest,” he said, frustrated.
Congress leaders also accused the BJP of double standards, referencing past events where BJP workers burned effigies of Rahul Gandhi in public without any legal consequences. “No police case was filed then,” Joshi said. “But when we try to hold a peaceful protest, they treat us like criminals.”
He further criticized the ruling party for suppressing voices of dissent and ignoring the struggles of grieving families. “Beti Bachao is just a slogan to them. The way the mothers of the victims were manhandled—no criminal deserves such treatment,” Joshi added. Congress workers who were denied permission to gather at Gandhi Nagargruh eventually sat in protest outside Atladara Police Station. The party declared it would continue its fight for justice, even if it meant marching to Delhi.