Congress flags off its 'Buddha to Gandhi' march participants

The Congress today flagged off a convoy consisting of several hundred leaders and workers, who will participate in its 'Buddha to Gandhi' march commencing tomorrow from Bodh Gaya in Bihar to protest "anti-farmer, anti-labour policies" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre.
The 350 km march has been named 'Buddha to Gandhi' as it will start from Bodh Gaya, the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, and end at Bhitiharwa in West Champaran district, where Mahatma Gandhi had built an 'ashram' during his historical 'satyagraha' in 1917 against forced indigo farming by the British.
The first phase of the march will end at Patna on March 25 after covering 110 km, and the second phase will commence from Patna in the first week of April and cover the remaining distance to Gandhi ashram at Bhitiharwa.

Flagging off the march participants from Sadakat Ashram, the headquarters of Bihar Congress in the state capital here, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Shakeel Ahmad said, "The march will assure the people that the Congress is with them against the anti-farmer, anti-labour policies of the Modi-led NDA government at the Centre."
"It will emerge as the beacon of protest against black law on land acquisition, which the BJP is trying to force on the people. It is the speciality of Congress to fight for the protection the common people," he added.
Ahmad said that the march was a move by the party to unite the people against the Central government's policies meant to appease corporate houses in the country.

Ahmad also launched a signature campaign on the occasion under which 10 lakh signatures of farmer and labourers from the state will be collected and sent to President Pranab Mukherjee requesting him to stop the land acquisition bill and other pernicious policies of the BJP.