Gujarat Congress's dharna makes BJP see red

As a part of the Congress's nationwide protest against caste violence and communalism, the party's state unit observed a symbolic fast for two hours in Ahmedabad and other cities in the state on Monday.

Congress leaders said that the symbolic protest was to spread the message of harmony and to draw the government's attention to the rising fear and insecurity among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and minorities.

Incidentally, instead of the day-long protests held in many places, the Gujarat unit wound up the dharna in just two hours. Party officials said that the two-hour protest was in line with instructions received from the party leadership in the state.

The two-hour protest was held in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and other cities between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm. MLAs Shailesh Parmar, Imran Khedawala and Himmatsinh Patel led the protests at Lal Darwaza in Ahmedabad. Leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani participated in the protest in Amreli.

Newly appointed Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda, who joined the protest in Vadodara, said that Dalits, tribals and the poor are living in an atmosphere of fear and insecurities. He said that the BJP governments at the state and Centre had failed to assuage their fears.

However, the Congress's protest did not go down well with the BJP, which accused the opposition of fanning communal tension. "The Congress has always worked for dividing the society on communal lines, and spreading anarchy. The party did its best to divide Gujarat before elections, but is talking about communal harmony after they are over," deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, said.