Left Front, Congress take out rally in Kolkata over JNU row

Amid talks of forging an alliance, leaders of the Left Front and the Congress on Monday walked shoulder to shoulder alongside other political workers in a rally here protesting against the 'atrocities' perpetrated on Jawaharlal Nehru University students by the Narendra Modi government.

The rallyists set out from College Square -- the city's educational hub -- and covered a three km stretch to Dorina Crossing near the city centre under an apolitical banner Democratic Forum against Suppression.

The rally, christened "Kolkata Marches for JNU", saw the participation of representatives of the Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal, besides the civil society.

West Bengal Congress general secretary Om Prakash Mishra said the rally was taken out to defeat "fascist" forces.

"This rally has huge importance. India now needs ideological unity. CPI-M, Congress, Forward Bloc, JD-U, RJD -- they have all joined hands here.

"And those of you who think 'JNU idea is India's idea', if this has to survive, we need the alliance. We are moving towards that," said Mishra.

State leaders of both the Congress and the Left Front have been pitching for an alliance to put up a strong fight against the ruling Trinamool Congress.