Cong seeks stopping of Rath Yatra by Advani, Rajnath

Kanpur, Mar 19 (UNI) Former Union Minister and Congress Central Election Committee member Mohsina Kidwai today demanded that the twin Rathyatras proposed by BJP president Rajnath Singh and former deputy prime minister L K Advani be stopped for preventing any prospective communal flare-ups.

Interacting with mediapersons here, Ms Kidwai said the people had bitter experience of Rath Yatra taken out by Mr Advani in the past, which sparked communal tensions.

''As the BJP has lost its base in the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, its leadership had started generating communal tension to enrich its vote bank. The Rathyatra was aimed to encourage religious fundamentalism to divide the people,'' she alleged On the women reservation issue, Ms Kidwai said the bill in this regard could not be tabled in parliament due to differences among the political parties. However, it would be placed in the Lok Sabha soon and the MP's from all the parties would be allowed to put forward their opinion and those who opposed the bill, would be exposed before the masses, she added.

In reply to another question, Ms Kidwai said the Congress would contest the assembly elections in West Bengal and in Uttar Pradesh on its own.

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