IIT students chalk out Maharashtra’s 'Save Constitution' rallies against BJP on Republic Day

On January 26, when the nation will celebrate the 68th Republic Day, opposition parties, including the Congress in Maharashtra will host "Save the Constitution" rallies.

Mumbai, Jan 17: On January 26, when the nation will celebrate the 68th Republic Day, opposition parties, including the Congress, in Maharashtra will host "Save the Constitution" rallies to protest against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and at the Centre.

In fact, the idea for the protest rallies in the state has been given by some students of the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay.

"The idea for the rally came from some IIT students. We have all seen the situation prevailing in the country for the last three years since the BJP came to power.

"Recently, union minister Anant Kumar Hegde spoke about changing the Constitution. This rally is a response to that," Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Avhad told The Economic Times.

The Congress along with other opposition parties will take out "Save Constitution" rallies in every district of the state on Republic Day, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said at a meeting of senior party leaders on Tuesday.

The former chief minister of Maharashtra also mocked the BJP's decision to take out "Tiranga (tricolour)" rallies in response to the Opposition's rallies.

"The BJP's parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has never accepted the Tiranga as the national flag and till recently did not hoist it. It is ridiculous that the same people are now taking out Tiranga Yatra," he said.

Meanwhile, some workers of the BJP Yuva Morcha from Satara joined the Congress in Chavan's presence during Tuesday's meeting.

Former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil were among those who attended the meeting.

The list of leaders expected to attend "Samvidhan Bachao" (Save the Constitution) rally in Mumbai on January 26 include Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), Gujarat MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel.

Former Bombay High Court judge BG Kolse-Patil and Purshottam Khedekar of the Maratha Seva Sangh may also be present, stated a report by The Economic Times.

In fact, the organisers of the event have invited Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to be a part of the rally. The silent rally will move from near Mantralaya to the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

OneIndia News