Sonia Gandhi slams anti-migrants in Mumbai

Mumbai/Mangalore, Apr 27 (ANI): Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has criticised organisations in Mumbai, who have demonstrating against migrants from other parts of the country.

Addressing an election rally on Sunday, Sonia Gandhi said that Mumbai, which has seen large-scale anti-migrant violence last year, has provided shelter to people from all corners of the country.

"For centuries, Mumbai has given shelter to people of every state. But it is sad that some people look towards this city of big heart with narrow mindedness. They instigate people and say that outsiders should not be allowed to live and earn livelihood here," she said.

She also said her party and people of the country would not tolerate such acts of hate.

"It is India and its every corner is of every Indian, irrespective of religion, region and language. And the one who will try to break this character, country's people and the Congress party will not tolerate this," she said.

In 2008, the activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena incited violence and attacked north Indians who migrated to the city.

Earlier Sonia Gandhi, addressing a public rally in Mangalore reiterated that the BJP was a puppet in the hands of Hindu groups.

Without naming either the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), she said that these radical groups pulled the BJP's strings.

"The reality is and you people know that these people (leaders of the BJP) look towards a particular organisation for every step and act on its directions," she said. (ANI)