New Delhi: Amid raging protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Congress will take out marches across the country on its 134th foundation day on Saturday to take its “Save Constitution-Save India” message to the people.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will unfurl the party's flag at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here on Saturday morning to mark the occasion, while former party chief Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Assam's Guwahati, where he will take on the Narendra Modi government over the CAA, among other issues.
Rahul Gandhi will also pay the party's tributes to the five people who were killed in the state during the stir against the Act, Congress in-charge of Assam Harish Rawat said on Friday.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address party workers in Lucknow at a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee (UPPCC).
“In addition to the customary flag-hoisting in state capitals, presidents of Pradesh Congress Committees will undertake flag marches carrying the message of ‘Save Constitution-Save India’,” said party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
They will also read the preamble of the Constitution in their respective languages at public meetings organised for this purpose, he said.
Over the last few days, there have been widespread protests in colleges, universities and prominent institutions across the country against the government's decision to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the CAA, Venugopal said.
“Faced by this massive backlash, the PM (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Amit Shah) have indulged in characteristic double speak, and are now attempting to covertly undertake the exercise through NPR (the National Population Register)," he said.
“The protesters were attacked by police indiscriminately. There were cases of deaths due to police firing at many places. The government has put itself in a bind on these issues with the PM, HM and RM (Raksha Mantri) making contradictory statements on different occasions. The CAA proposes to flout the guarantees of Article 14, in contravention of the Constitution," Venugopal said.
Amidst massive public outrage, the government decided to take a step further and announced “updation of NPR” exercise on December 24, he said.
This has again raised suspicion because of the RSS-BJP's long-hidden agenda to implement the NRC following completion of the NPR exercise, the Congress leader said.
The Congress will rise to every occasion when there is a challenge to the Constitution and any effort to derail the country from its path of progress amidst historical unemployment and pall of economic gloom, Venugopal said. PTI
In Lucknow, Priyanka Gandhi is also expected to attend a meeting of the party's advisory council and strategy group besides addressing the PCC to revamp the state unit after a number of leaders were recently expelled.
The Congress has planned a peace march from its headquarters to the Ambedkar statue opposite GPO Park, but it may not take place in view of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC.
Priyanka Gandhi had earlier undertaken a peace march from Shaheed Smarak to GPO Park on October 2 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
This is her first visit to the state capital after violent protests against the amended citizenship law, which claimed at least 19 lives.
Priyanka Gandhi had visited Bijnor on Sunday to meet families of the victims of the clashes. The UP Police had, however, stopped her and Rahul Gandhi from entering Meerut to meet families of those killed in the violence.
(With inputs from agencies)
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