Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
India

Sonia Gandhi-Led Congress To Stage March Against 'Intolerance'

Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Nov, 2015 10:16 AM
    Congress president Sonia Gandhi will lead her party's protest march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday against "rising intolerance" during the BJP-led government's tenure.
     
    The party on Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his barbs at the Congress over anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
     
    Congress leaders said the march on Tuesday would include party vice president Rahul Gandhi, members of the Congress Working committee, party office-bearers and party MPs. 
     
    The march will start from Parliament House and party leaders are expected to give a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee to convey their concern on "rising intolerance".
     
    Te price rise issue may also figure during the protest march, a party leader said.
     
    Sonia Gandhi met the president on Monday evening but party sources termed it as "personal" meeting.
     
    The meeting came on a day Modi targeted Sonia Gandhi, saying Congress leaders had no right to talk about tolerance when they were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
     
    "Madam Soniaji, do you remember 1984? What happened in Delhi? Sikhs were killed. Serious charges were made against the Congress. Ironically, now the Congress talks of tolerance," Modi said at an election rally in Purnea in Bihar. 
     
    He said after two Sikh bodyguards assassinated then prime minister Indira Gandhi, innocent Sikhs "were killed in broad daylight... And the Congress is giving lectures on tolerance".
     
    Congress leader Anand Sharma reacted sharply to Modi's remarks, saying his comments were "politically motivated" and "a mischievous attempt to reopen the wounds of 31 years".
     
    He said riots followed assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi were "tragic" and "a sad chapter", adding that successive governments have explored every possibility to provide a healing touch.
     
    "Fortunately in this country we were able to restore the social unity and the faith of all the people which was reflected both in our national elections as well as the formation of elected governments - whether of the Congress Party or of the BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal - in Punjab," he said.
     
    Sharma said Modi made the latest remarks to "divert attention from the rising concerns and fears in the country over orchestrated campaigns to create atmosphere of fear and intimidation".
     
    "Prime minister has chosen even now not to respond to the concerns expressed by eminent Indians who have made rich and notable contributions - scientists, authors, film producers, poets and others," he said.
     
    Sharma said Modi needs to be reminded that he is the prime minister of India. 
     
    "He should not even think and act as a BJP leader or as a RSS pracharak (preacher) but fulfil and honour his constitutional duties and his moral duty as India's prime minister," he said.
     
    Referring to Modi invoking name of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the Bihar polls, Anand Sharma asked if the prime minister had forgotten advice given to him to follow "raj dharma' after the Gujarat riots.
     
    He said former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had immediately went out on the streets of Delhi to diffuse communal sentiments and calm people after reaching the capital from West Bengal in the wake of assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi.
     
    He alleged Modi did not "utter a single word for three days" after the Gujarat riots of 2002 and "did not take effective measures to control the situation".

    MORE India ARTICLES

    BJP Clarifies On Naga Peace Accord After Government Accused Of Secrecy

    BJP Clarifies On Naga Peace Accord After Government Accused Of Secrecy
    The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of signing the peace accord without taking any stakeholder into confidence, and overlooking the Constitution in doing so.

    BJP Clarifies On Naga Peace Accord After Government Accused Of Secrecy

    Modi Overlooked Constitution On Naga Peace Accord: Congress

    Modi Overlooked Constitution On Naga Peace Accord: Congress
    Accusing the BJP-led central government of signing the Naga peace accord without taking any stakeholder into confidence, the Congress on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi overlooked the constitution in doing so.

    Modi Overlooked Constitution On Naga Peace Accord: Congress

    Congress Sharpens Attack On Sushma Swaraj, BJP Hits Back

    Congress Sharpens Attack On Sushma Swaraj, BJP Hits Back
    The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at Sonia Gandhi, saying she finds it difficult to deliver a speech without reading from a prepared text.

    Congress Sharpens Attack On Sushma Swaraj, BJP Hits Back

    India To Boycott Commonwealth Meet As Pakistan Doesn't Invite Kashmir Speaker

    India To Boycott Commonwealth Meet As Pakistan Doesn't Invite Kashmir Speaker
    Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said on Friday that India will boycott the September 30-October 8 conference if Jammu and Kashmir Speaker Kavinder Gupta is not invited

    India To Boycott Commonwealth Meet As Pakistan Doesn't Invite Kashmir Speaker

    Gurdaspur Attack: No Evidence Of Terrorists Using Ravi River Route, Says BSF

    "We have not found any evidence of the terrorists using the route (as indicated by the GPS coordinates)," BSF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police N.K. Mishra told

    Gurdaspur Attack: No Evidence Of Terrorists Using Ravi River Route, Says BSF

    Lalitgate: Sushma Speaks, Congress Attacks Her, Modi

    Lalitgate: Sushma Speaks, Congress Attacks Her, Modi
    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday made a passionate defence of her role in the Lalit Modi affair, but the Congress tore into her and blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the unending parliament logjam.

    Lalitgate: Sushma Speaks, Congress Attacks Her, Modi