IANS-CVoter National Mood Tracker: Indians divided about the issues on which Congress stages protests

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated Congress president Sonia Gandhi on July 27 during the third round of questioning in an alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

Once again, party leaders and workers held protests in different parts of the country against the action of the probe agency.

Scores of top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and hundreds of party workers, were detained for protesting, but were released later. Congress leaders and workers have also been holding demonstrations on the issue of unemployment and price rise both inside and outside Parliament.

Notably, during the on-going monsoon session, four Congress MPs have been suspended from the Lok Sabha for the entire session ending August 12 for holding protests inside the house over inflation.

CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of IANS to understand public perception about the Congress’ protests.

The opinion poll aimed to find out people’s views about the issues on which the Congress party organises protests. During the survey, Indians were divided in their views on the issue.

As per the survey data, while 46 per cent respondents said that the Congress party holds agitations only when there is an attack on the Gandhi family as seen in the latest demonstrations against ED questioning of Sonia Gandhi, 54 per cent respondents disagreed and asserted that the party holds protests on issues of public relevance as well such as inflation and unemployment.

While the majority of opposition voters, 62 per cent, asserted that Congress party holds protests not only when it’s about the Gandhi family but also on issues of public importance, views of NDA voters were divided on the matter.

During the survey, while 56 per cent of NDA voters opined that the Congress party stages protests only when there is any action against the Gandhi family, 44 per cent NDA voters asserted that the party hits the road on other issues as well such as inflation and unemployment.

The survey revealed differences in the opinion of different social groups on the issue.

During the survey, the majority of Scheduled Tribes (ST), 69 per cent and Muslims, 63 per cent, and a substantial proportion of Scheduled Caste (SC) respondents, 58 per cent, opined that the Congress party holds on issues of public concern as well besides staging demonstrations when there is an alleged vindictive action against the members of the Gandhi family.

At the same time, views of Upper Caste Hindus (UCH) and Other Backward Classes (OBS) were divided on the issue.

According to the survey data, 56 per cent of UCH and 55 per cent of OBC respondents opined that the party holds protests only when the government initiates any action against the Gandhi family.

–IANS