Congress to gherao Parliament on May 6

New Delhi, April 30

Amid escalating confrontation with the central government, Congress said it would gherao Parliament on May 6 to highlight issues such as Uttarakhand, drought and the campaign of "deceit and deliberate lies" against opposition.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and a host of other leaders and party workers would march from Jantar Mantar early morning on next Friday to gherao Parliament.

Last year, the Congress had organised a rally at Ram Lila grounds on April 19 to protest the controversial Land Acquisition Bill, which it had dubbed as "anti-farmer and pro-corporate".

Before that Sonia Gandhi had led a march of opposition leaders to Rashtrapati Bhawan on the issue.

The announcement was made by party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala, who said the gherao would be the culmination of a "save democracy" march.

He said it was being undertaken in the wake of attempts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government to "topple" elected governments.

In an obvious reference to the AgustaWestland issue, he said the march was also against the "drama" being enacted by the BJP and the government and the campaign of "deceit and deliberate lies" launched by it.

Surjewala said that the march was also to highlight the drought and the agrarian crisis that has forced a spate of suicides by farmers and has affected 40 crore people spread over large number of states.

A party leader said workers from adjoining states of Delhi like Haryana, Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh would participate in the protest action.

In Jaipur, PCC President Sachin Pilot said the Rajasthan unit of the party will participate in the march.

"We have seen the undemocratic face of the Modi government in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand," he said.

Sonia Gandhi had led a march of party workers in Delhi on the issue of price rise in 1998 when AB Vajpayee was prime minister. — PTI