Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to lead Cong gherao of Parliament on May 6

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 30, 2016: Congress on Saturday announced a gherao of Parliament on May 6 to highlight issues like Uttarakhand, drought and the campaign of “deceit and deliberate lies” against opposition, amid escalating confrontation with the government.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and a host of other leaders and party workers would march from Jantar Mantar early morning on next Friday to gherao Parliament.

Last year, the Congress had organised a rally at Ram Lila grounds on April 19 to protest the controversial land acquisition bill which it had dubbed as “anti-farmer and pro-corporate”.

Before that Sonia Gandhi had led a march of opposition leaders to Rashtrapati Bhawan on the issue.

The announcement was made by party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, who said the gherao would be the culmination of a “save democracy” march.

He said it is being undertaken in the wake of attempts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government to “topple” duly elected governments as was witnessed in the “conspiracies” in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In an apparent reference to the AgustaWestland issue, he said the march was also against the “drama” being enacted by the BJP and the government and the campaign of “deceit and deliberate lies” launched by it.

Surjewala said that the march was also to highlight the drought and the agrarian crisis that has forced a spate of suicides by farmers and has affected 40 crore people spread over large number of states.

A party leader said workers from adjoining states like Haryana, Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh would participate in the protest action.

Sonia Gandhi, who took over as party chief in March 1998, had that year led a march of party workers in Delhi on the issue of price rise. That time the A B Vajpayee government was at the helm.