Coinciding with the Republic Day parade here, the Opposition parties are planning to hold a parallel “Samvidhan Bachao” or “Save the Constitution” march in Mumbai at the Gateway of India.
According to sources, NCP leader Sharad Pawar placed calls to senior leaders across the Opposition parties to invite them for the march. Independent MP Raju Shetti, who broke away from the BJP in August last, is one of the organisers.
The press conference by four of the senior-most Supreme Court judges alluding to administrative mismanagement and selective allocation of cases to preferred benches was the tipping point for the march.
“Even the judiciary is no longer independent as the Supreme Court judges highlighted. The Constitution especially the Fundamental Rights are under attack. There is urgent necessity to protect the Constitution,” NCP spokesperson D.P. Tripathi told The Hindu .
January 26 was selected as it was the day when India adopted the Constitution, Mr. Tripathi said.
“A Union Minister brags about how the government is here to change the Constitution, judiciary is under siege, gau-rakshak gangs are wielding extra constitutional powers and the attacks on the minorities are undermining the Constitution,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
The Congress too is expected to join. The trio who led the anti-BJP campaign in Gujarat, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani and Patidar leader Hardik Patel too are likely to join.
