Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS): Amid calls to save the Constitution and protect the people from the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Thursday flagged off a 21-day long Mumbai-Delhi 'Gandhi Shanti Yatra' to be conducted by ex-BJP leader and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha.
Sinha, 82, who will travel from the country's commercial capital to the national capital, would campaign against and create awareness about the implications of CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), the plight of farmers, the atrocities against women, the issue of youth and students, etc.
The flag-off by Pawar was attended by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar, senior Congress leaders like Shatrughan Sinha, Prithviraj Chavan, Ashish Deshmukh, Eknath Gaikwad, state minister Nawab Malik and a large number of activists from all the parties.
"We will protect the Constitution of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, and will not allow Mahatma Gandhi to be 'assassinated' again" said Sinha, holding a picture of Gandhiji as he embarked on the 21-day long sojourn by road from Gateway of India to reach Delhi on January 30, the 71st anniversary of the assassination of the Father of the Nation.
Addressing the gathering, Pawar said: "The CAA will be a threat to the country's integrity. Many people in the country will not be able to prove their citizenship and could face an uncertain future. This has created huge unrest among the masses and the youth of the country are opposing it on the streets daily."
However, the 79-year old leader rued that many attempts were being made by those in power to crush these agitations against CAA and also cited the recent JNU violence.
In order to change the current situation confronting the nation, it was imperative to follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi, as voices of condemnation are raised against the JNU violence and other major issues around the country, he added.
Ambedkar alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is trying to implement its agenda on the country and the people will have to struggle to save the Constitution and the country.
"This government is not likely to listen to the people. But this is a political struggle and must be fought on political levels only. I congratulate Yashwant Sinha for his bold decision to go on the 'Gandhi Shanti Yatra' for the people of the country," Ambedkar said.