CAA 2019| Congress plans ‘Satyagraha’ at Rajghat – india news

The Congress will hold a five-hour Satyagraha on Monday at Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi at Rajghat to protest against the BJP government and uphold the principles of the Constitution, in the wake of the clashes between protesters and police over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and a proposed pan-India National Register of Citizenship (NRC).

The party wanted to do the Satyagraha on Sunday afternoon, but was compelled to shift its date due to a BJP rally at Ramlila Maidan, close to Rajghat. Senior leaders of the party went into a huddle to discuss the modalities of the Satyagraha, which will also include bhajans and prayers, after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a closed-door meeting with general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia and former Member of Parliament Deepinder Hooda.

Later, Priyanka came out with a statement underlining the party’s plan to try to protect ‘Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution’ through the path ‘envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi’.

The Satyagraha, which will be held between 3 PM and to 8 PM, will see Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders. Gandhi had been out of India for pre-scheduled meetings for the past few days.

A senior functionary of the Congress added that the original plan was to organise the Satyagraha on Sunday since the Jharkhand election results would be out on Monday. “But Delhi Police wanted us to shift our venue or date as two big events in the close vicinity would be a logistical problem.” During the meeting, party leaders tried to explore other locations for Satyagraha, but it was decided that no place would be better than Rajghat.

“The Congress Party appeals for peace and harmony. The country got independence through truth and non-violence. Today it is necessary that Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution should be protected through the path of truth and non-violence as envisioned by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi,” Priyanka said in a statement.

She also alleged that the government was applying a “dictatorial mindset to suppress the voice of the people” and that the CAA and NRC were against the poor. Condemning the arrest of students, intellectuals, social workers, lawyers and journalists, Priyanka said, “Assault on Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution will not be allowed at any cost. The public is fighting on the streets to protect the Constitution, but the government is bent upon barbaric repression and violence.”

Announcing the Satyagraha, party general secretary KC Venugopal maintained that widespread resentment against the recent actions of the BJP government can be seen across the country and “especially among the youth.”

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress will send a four-member delegation to Lucknow to meet the families of people killed in police firing during the CAA protests. Party general secretary Subrata Bakshi said, “Our delegation is going to UP on a humanitarian mission to be with the grieving families of those killed and also meet those injured in the incidents.” Former Lok Sabha member Dinesh Trivedi will lead the delegation.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury participated in a protest march and addressed a gathering at Jantar Mantar. Speaking about violence in BJP-ruled states, Yechury said, “The reports of violence have all been coming from BJP-ruled states. In non-BJP ruled states it has been by and large peaceful. Today a very big bandh is happening in Bihar. Not one report of violence has come so far. So it is very clear who is encouraging violence. The truth has to be told to the people.”