NEW DELHI: Amid nationwide agitations against the amended citizenship act, the Congress, led by party chief Sonia Gandhi, has decided to stage a 'satyagraha' at Rajghat on Monday afternoon, demanding protection for the Constitution and the rights of people as enshrined in it.
Top leaders of the party, including its former president Rahul Gandhi and its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are likely to participate in the 'satyagraha dharna' till the evening, sources said.
"Senior Congress leaders will undertake a satyagraha at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi at Rajghat, day after tomorrow, December 23 from 3 pm to 8 pm.
In line with the path of non-violence, yet consistent and unequivocal opposition shown by the Father of the Nation, the party's satyagraha will fight against this dictatorial government and to protect Baba Saheb's (B R Ambedkar) sacred Constitution," Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said.
The decision to hold the silent protest was taken at a meeting of top party leaders at Sonia Gandhi's residence here on Saturday evening, they said.
The leaders initially decided to hold the protest at Rajghat -- a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi -- on Sunday but later postponed it to Monday as permissions for the same were yet to be obtained from authorities, the sources added.
Venugopal said in a statement that there has been widespread resentment against the recent actions of the BJP government, among people across the country, especially amongst youth demanding the restoration and maintaining the sanctity of rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
"The dictatorial and stubborn BJP government at the Centre and in different states has used indiscriminate police force against ordinary citizens in the name of maintaining law and order," he said.
This, he said, has led to further worsening and spiralling of the situation.
"The Congress is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Constitution and fight for the continuation, maintenance and safeguard of the rights of all, as enshrined and guaranteed by our founding fathers," the leader said.
The party is up against the government for using "brute" force against "silent and peaceful" protesters across the country and for "stopping" people from holding demonstrations against the new citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), proposed to be imposed across the country.