Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee against the backdrop of political developments and ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee against the backdrop of political developments and ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. But the party clarified Monday night that it was a “courtesy call”. The meeting was said to have lasted over half an hour.
Mrs Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be leading a march of Congress leaders to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday to appeal to the President to use his constitutional powers to end the “atmosphere of intolerance”.
The Gandhis and other party leaders will plead with the President that as head of the nation he should ensure an end to “the atmosphere of intolerance, intemperate behaviour, violence and communal polarisation”, Congress sources said.
Members of the Congress Working Committee, AICC general secretaries and office-bearers and party MPs will be part of the delegation meeting the President, who has repeatedly sought to underline the need to preserve the core values of diversity, tolerance and plurality of Indian civilisation.
The move by the main Opposition party comes against a backdrop of protests by artistes, writers and scientists over alleged “rising intolerance” reflected in the Dadri lynching, beef row and other such incidents.
Two days ago, Mrs Gandhi had expressed her concern and had vowed to fight the “diabolical design” of divisive forces to spread hatred which, she said, posed a threat to the unity of the country.
“Organisations and people of a particular ideology are spreading it to divide people. We are under no illusion that it is an accident. Hate, violence and petty-mindedness are being unleashed as part of a pre-determined plan,” said Sonia Gandhi.
Mrs Gandhi met the President on Monday. She had sought a meeting with the President after she could not attend a banquet hosted by him for African leaders last week due to indisposition. It has nothing to do with the charges and counter-charges made in the current Bihar Assembly election campaign, party sources aid. Mrs Gandhi had led a march of Opposition leaders to Rashtrapati Bhavan during the Budget Session this year to protest against the controversial land ordinance, which the Congress said was “anti-farmer” and “pro-corporate”.
In a related development, JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi welcomed Mrs Gandhi’s plan to meet the President. “I support the decision of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi who are planning to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is a unique way to protest intolerance,” Mr Tyagi said.
CPI leader D. Raja said it is a fact that there is growing intolerance and the situation is “so worse (sic)” that it is agitating the minds of well-meaning citizens. “It is not only scholars, artists, writers and historians and scientists, but even the industrialists are worried about the situation. They cannot run industries in this atmosphere,” Mr Raja said.
