Beti Bacho rally of Congress starts from Nalia faces opposition, stone pelting from locals

Bhuj: The much hyped Beti Bachao rally of main opposition Congress from Nalia to Gandhinagar to protest the Nalia rape case today met with stiff opposition from hundreds of activists of a local outfit including a large number of women on the day of its commencement from Nalia.

The Kutch Asmita Manch activists opposed the Congress rally first in Nalia and then in Bhuj, the district headquarter of Kutch and other places. Stones were also pelted on the rally near Gandhidham in the evening.

Showing black flags and placards with slogans like ‘stop defaming Kutch’ and ‘opponents of Kutch go back’, the protestors also shouted anti-Congress slogan. They looked particularly angry with leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela for his statement in which he had allegedly termed Kutch as a ‘sex-hub’. They demanded apologies from Vaghela alleging that his statement has insulted the daughters and mothers of Kutch. They also showed black flags to the rally. When the rally arrived Gandhidham stones were pelted on the vehicles of Vaghela and senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil, an MLA from Abdasa in Kutch region. However, police controlled the situation and the rally later proceeded further.

Meanwhile, several senior party leaders apart from Vaghela including national president of women’s wing of Congress Shobha Ojha, Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki, former president Arjun Modhwadia, Siddharth Patel, MLA Shaktisinh Gohil remained present on the occasion of the commencement of the rally at Nalia. The over 500 km long rally is expected to reach Gandhinagar via Anjar, Aadipur,Gandhidham, Bhachau, Morbi, Wankaner, Chotila, Limbadi, Vagodhara etc.

Congress has demanded the probe of the case in which some local BJP leaders have been made accused (all of them ousted by the party) by a sitting judge of the high court.

The party has warned to lay siege (gherao) of the assembly on February 20, the first day of its budget session, when the rally is expected to reach capital Gandhinagar.

In a meeting organized on the occasion of the commencement of the rally at Nalia, Vaghela and other party leaders attacked ruling BJP vehemently on the issue.

DeshGujarat