'Growing intolerance': Congress takes battle to Rashtrapati Bhawan

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by her party delegation, have reached the Rashtrapati Bhawan here to make an appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee to use his constitutional powers to end the 'atmosphere of intolerance' in the nation.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is also part of the march, which began from the Parliament House here. The Congress delegation is expected to give a memorandum to President Mukherjee to convey their concern on the issue.

The Congress president had met President Mukherjee last evening seen by many as the precursor to her sounding bugle of a full-fledged confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government over the issue of 'growing intolerance'.

The meeting, which was described by the Congress to be a courtesy call, took place hours after Prime Minister Modi blasted the grand old party during an election rally in Bihar and reminded them of the 1984 riots.

Amid criticism from various quarters over the recent untoward incidents in the country, Prime Minister Modi said the Congress leaders had no right to talk about tolerance when they were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Congress' attempt to put the government in dock comes at a time when eminent persons from all walks of life, be it authors, historians, scientist or rating agencies are expressing their concern over the growing trend of intolerance under the NDA regime.