Cong gone for 'peace march' agst opp

Congress leaders and workers took out a ‘Peace March’ across the state to protest ‘the alleged truck of BJP and SP to fan communal passion during the festivals. The March was taken out to mark the death anniversary of late PM Indira Gandhi on Saturday.

In lucknow, the march was led by former Union minister Shreeprakash Jaiswal, Jitin Prasada and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari. Starting from Saheed Smarak, the march ended at Sardar Patel statue near GPO. 

later talking to the media, Jaiswal alleged that the BJP was conspiring to throw the state into a communal turmoil and reap political benefit. “After assessing a certain defeat in the Bihar polls, the BJP is frustrated and is trying to create communal divide in UP,” he charged. “The BJP has nefariously used its weapon of communalism when it’s on the verge of defeat in Bihar,” added Jaiswal referring to BJP chief Amit Shah’s remark that there would be celebrations in Pakistan if the BJP loses in Bihar. 

“Attempts are being made to vitiate the atmosphere in UP are politically motivated,” Jaiswal later said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. He also questioned the reason as to why the SP government had failed to control the violence and danced to the tunes of the BJP.

Former ClP leader, Pramod Tewari while reacting on the Amit Shah’s comment said that ever since the BJP has come to power at the Centre, international borders have become volatile and in the its 17 month rule, there have been 1700 infiltration and ceasefire which claimed the lives of our soldiers.

Meanwhile UP Congress chief Nirmal Khatri led the march at Faizabad, former UPPC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Kanpur, former Union minister Pradeep Jain Aditya in Jhansi and former Congress MP from Unnao, Annu Tandon in Basti. Before embarking on  the march, Congress leaders paid floral tributes to former PM Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.