Just before the Cong chief’s arrival at venue, the party asked its former Delhi MPs Jagdish Tytler & Sajjan Kumar to leave the dais since they are still facing 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases.
New Delhi : Congress President Rahul Gandhi led the party’s nationwide fast on Monday along with leaders Ashok Gehlot, former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken and the party’s Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge at Rajghat here for communal harmony and peace.
He had given the call for the fast on Friday after Prime Minister Modi told the BJP MPs to hold a fast in their constituencies on Thursday to protest the Congress and other opposition parties paralysing Parliament for nearly a month.
The day-long fast, albeit for six hours, witnessed Rahul and party leaders lambasting the government for not allowing Parliament to function by propping up its allies to stage daily drama of ruckus forcing adjournments.
They spoke on how the government circumvented not only the no-confidence motion but also issues like alleged dilution of SC/ST Protection Act, farm distress, CBSE paper leak, multi-crore banking scam, Cauvery issue and the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
Gehlot said similar fasts are being held at all state and district headquarters and the issues highlighted include an increasing attacks and atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis and minorities.
Just before Rahul’s arrival at the venue, the party asked its former Delhi MPs Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar to leave the dais since they are still facing the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases in court that followed the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi. Sheila Dikshit objected to the riot-tainted leaders’ presence. Tytler got down and joined the party workers on fast while Sajjan Kumar preferred to leave the venue.
The BJP reacted strongly to their presence, releasing a video lampooning Rahul for “spreading falsehoods” and asking him where he was when 9080 crimes were committed against Dalits in Karnataka and 358 killed.
“It only exposes Rahul Gandhi’’s hypocrisy. This isn’’t fast; this is fast-tracing of Rahul Gandhi’’s political career,” BJP spokesman Sambit Patra told reporters here, asserting that he was making a mockery of fast. “Upvaas ke naam par uphaas,” he said.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Akali Dal tweeted: “What we are seeing in Rajghat is no fast, it is only a farce!
“Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, who butchered thousands of Sikhs in 1984, attending a farcical ‘’fast’’ for unity and harmony! What a joke,” she said.
There was almost a flood of tweets on the duo’s presence at the site. One wondered if after Tytler and Sajjan Kumar shamelessly participating in the dharna for communal harmony, she would like to see Chidambaram in protesting against corruption, Salman Khurshid fasting to safegaurd the rights of the underprivileged.
Congress communication chief said: “Communal harmony and brotherhood are under threat in the Narendra Modi government. They want to divide the society. Hence it is the duty of the Congress party to fight against such powers and this is what we have come together for.”
Fast against BJP ideology: RaGa
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the party’s nationwide ‘fast’ on Monday is against the BJP ideology that is spreading violence and hatred, dividing the country and crushing Dalits, Adivasis and minorities.
“We are standing here against that ideology. We will stand against them not just today, but always for whole of our life,” he said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the fast the Congress workers undertook at Rajghat here. “Also, we will show you that we defeat the BJP in 2019 (Lok Sabha elections),” Rahul asserted with confidence, reiterating it for second time in 24 hours.
“Freedom to every person to speak what is in your heart, your mind is called democracy and we are here for protecting that freedom,” he said.
When told about some Dalit BJP MPs’’ revolt against Prime Minister Modi, Rahul said: “They also tell us Modi is anti-Dalit and he has no place for Dalits in his heart. There is no secret; all know about it.”
“We are here against a thinking, an ideology,” he said in the opening remark, pointing out that thinking was reflected when one of its leaders said all opposition leaders are “jaanvar” (animals). He did not refer BJP President Amit Shah by name who said so in Mumbai on Friday during the party’’s foundation day celebrations.
He said today all have gone against the BJP as Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and farmers are frightened and the Congress is standing against such a party. The country will never accept violence and hatred its ideology is spreading and “we stand against that ideology.”
“Media is being suppressed, media is being frightened,” Rahul said, stressing that he knows the media is standing with the Congress as we are protecting you,” he told the reporters.