Sonia, Rahul lead Congress' 'Save Democracy' protest

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday led a protest of Congress lawmakers against the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. Party members protested in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament complex holding 'Save Democracy' banners.

"We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue," Rahul Gandhi told ANI.

Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners.

Commenting on the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa, Thiruvananthapuram lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, "This is absolutely a murder of democracy and assault on the Constitution."

"If BJP's idea is to try to induce people to join BJP one way or the other, are they trying to turn the country it into a one-party state?" Tharoor questioned.

But that is not the Constitution's vision is, its vision is that in a democracy somebody will lose, he added.

As per sources in the party, Congress had called a parliamentary party meeting under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi where all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs were present.

Congress is talking to other opposition parties to come and support them over the recent political crisis in Karnataka and Goa, sources added.

Congress party which is grappling for survival in Karnataka suffered yet another blow after 10 of its MLAs in Goa joined the BJP on Wednesday.