Sonia leads 'intolerance' battle to President, questions PM Modi's silence

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who led her party delegation to the Rashtrapati Bhawan this evening to express concern over the 'growing intolerance' in the country, alleged that those in power are attempting to spread hatred and divide the society while lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the entire sequence of events.

Addressing the media after meeting President Pranab Mukherjee, Gandhi said that the Congress delegation submitted a memorandum to the former expressing concern over the atmosphere of fear, intolerance and threat being created in the country.

"The recent sad incidents are a part of well thought out plan. These have been planned to divide the society. The people in Modiji's government are attacking the diverse culture and fundamental ideology of the nation, they are encouraging intolerance. The Congress Party will fight against these forces with full power," said Gandhi.

"The Prime Minister is silent on all these issues, this show that he endorses the same," she added.

The march, which saw the Congress leaders walk up the Raisina hill carrying placards decrying communalism, came a day after Gandhi had a one-on-one meeting with President Mukherjee.

Prime Minister Modi had yesterday hit out at the Congress at an election rally in Bihar, countering the charge of rising intolerance under his regime by invoking the 1984 riots.

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.