The Bihar Congress will observe ‘Akrosh’ March on Monday across the State protesting the remarks of one BJP MlA from Rajasthan about AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Announcing the decision on Saturday, BPCC president Ashok Chaudhary alleged that the intolerance in the country has intensified since the BJP-led Central Government came to power. The people know that this Government has miserably failed to bring down prices and make economic reforms as it had promised during 2014 lok Sabha election, he said adding that in order to divert public attention from the core issues the Central Government was resorting to rake up controversial and emotional issues.
Chaudhary, who is also Education and IT Minister, will participate in the March and the protestors would burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He accused the Centre of promoting pseudo-nationalism in the name of patriotism.
"As a matter of fact RSS and its offshoots had no role in the freedom struggle and now BJP is giving the people the certificate of nationalism. It was no other party in the country but Congress fought for the Independence and its leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for social harmony and national integrity," added Chaudhary.
He also pooh-poohed the order of the Union HRD Ministry of hoisting national flag in all the Central Universities and asked if there had been any restriction on hoisting of tricolour anywhere. "The RSS headquarter never hoisted tricolour and started doing it only after the Supreme Court orders. Now they are giving lecture on the patriotism which is nothing but their pseudo-nationalism," he added.