Congress to hold 'Bharat Bachao' rally today in New Delhi, IOC to demonstrate in several countries

Several top Congress leaders, including interim party chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, are expected to attend the rally which will be held at Ramlila grounds in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Congress party members abroad will also demonstrate against the BJP government in New York, London, Sydney and Dublin on the same day.

"Members of the @INCOverseas will join the Bharat Bachao Rally by demonstrating around the world. Our message to save India from divisiveness, arrogance & incompetence will be spread worldwide," the Congress party tweeted.

Indian Overseas Congress posted: "Join us for #BharatBachaoRally organized by @TeamIOCUK on December 14th in London in front of High Commision of India at 3 pm to protest against the failures of the @narendramodi led @BJP4India government."

Sam Pitroda, head of the IOC, is supervising the protests.

"Sam Pitroda is supervising these protests to highlight the growing frustration among India diaspora settled overseas," told Secretary of IOC Virendra Vashishtha told India Today TV.

"The slump in the Indian economy and the falling value of the rupee is hurting the interests of millions of Indians due to wrong policies of the Modi Government. Our demonstrations will be peaceful to send out a meaningful message across," said Virendra Vashishtha.

The party is holding the rally at a time when several parts of the country are witnessing massive protests around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The protests against the act reached West Bengal on Friday with a section of people turning violent against it in different corners of the state and even set on fire a railway complex in Muslim-dominated Mushirdabad besides halting train services at various stations on Friday. 

In Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a railway station complex was set on fire in the evening by thousands of people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

In Beldandga railway station complex, the protesters thrashed police personnel when he tried to stop them from setting the complex on fire.

BJP Bengal leader Sayantan Basu alleged his convey was attacked at Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district over Citizenship law protest. He claimed the attackers were TMC men and shared a video of some young men attacking his car.

Besides, Mushirdabad violence, some protesters blocked tracks and vandalised the complex at the Uluberia railway station in Howrah district.

Train services in Howrah-Kharagpur section in South Eastern railway have been disrupted due to public agitation staged at Uluberia on non-railway issue.

Nearly 200 to 250 people obstructed UP & DN line at Uluberia from 15.22 hrs. today, a SER spokesperson said.

Demonstration against the act was also held in Kolkata.

Several demonstrators blocked National Highway 6 to protest against the bill.

Meanwhile, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Act. However, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde refused Moitra's plea of urgent hearing.

While political parties are set to challenge the law, eminent legal experts like Harish Salve, hailed as one of India’s legal eagles, has stated that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is not anti-Muslim and it does not violate the Articles 14, 15 and 21 of Indian Constitution.

Salve told media that the aim of the narrowly-tailored aw is to provide persecuted minorities in three neighbouring countries a special status in the naturalisation process and "it does not mean in any way that other communities or people will not be naturalised at all." He said for other communities the rules of general asylum process will be applied.