The Opposition INDIA bloc has announced a march in Mumbai on October 2, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as well as Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, to protest against the BJP’s “divide and rule policy” and “divisive politics”.
“Hatred is being spread all over the country. How will this be eradicated? Through Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals and ideology. The march will be a silent and non-violent one to ensure that his way of life will not be forgotten. Many NGOs will also remain present at the march. We appeal to people to join in large numbers,” said Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad at a press conference of the Opposition bloc on Saturday.
“Be it any kind of division—caste, race or unrest among communities, everything is a product of the BJP and RSS’s divisive and malicious politics. During international visits, PM Modi goes to Mahatma Gandhi’s statues to pay respect, but his assassins are respected back here in India,” she added.
The march will start at 2 pm from Metro Cinema and head to Hutatma Chowk towards Fashion Street, to MG Road, towards Balasaheb Thackeray Statue, to Regal Cinema, to the Ambedkar and Rajiv Gandhi Statues and culminate at the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
Along with Congress, Rakhi Jadhav and Vidya Chavan from the NCP, Abu Asim Azmi from the Samajwadi PartyPriti Menon from the AAP, A Meeran from DMK, Samya Korde from SheKaPa, Shailendra Kamble from the CPM, Amit Jha and Sachin Bansode from the JD(U), Mohammed Iqbal from the RJD and Prakash Reddy from the CPI also attended the press conference.
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As no representative from the Shiv Sena (UBT) was present, Gaikwad said she had spoken to Aaditya Thackeray and that she had been assured that the Sena UBT would participate in the march.
Abu Asim Azmi from the Samajwadi Party said, “The central government has a divide-and-rule policy. We have been seeing this in the last few years. They take Gandhi’s name and do everything against his beliefs and ideals. We have to do away with them.”
Priti Menon said the central government did not work for the people. “They work to create a split between religions and castes. During these times, we want to showcase Gandhiji’s vision. They have been systematically wiping his ideals for the last few years. His fight for Independence was against the Britishers, ours is against these ‘kaale’ (tainted) Britishers within the country,” she said.
