Sonia, Rahul Gandhi likely to meet President today over rising intolerance

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul are likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday evening over the issue of rising intolerance in the country, said sources. Senior party leaders are likely to march to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The meeting came in the backdrop of writers, filmmakers, scientists, historians returning awards for rising intolerance and murder of rationalists Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi and the gruesome murder of Mohammad Akhlaq over rumours of consuming beef in Uttar Pradesh' Dadri area.

"The Congress president and vice president along with senior party leaders including some Members of Parliament are expected to meet Mukherjee this week," Congress party sources said.

Expressing her concern over rising intolerance, Sonia had at a function vowed to fight the "diabolical design" of divisive forces to spread hatred, which posed a threat to the unity of the country.

"Organisations and people of a particular ideology are spreading it to divide people. We are under no illusion that it is an accident. The hate, violence and petty mindedness is being unleashed as part of a pre-determined plan. We will not

allow such a diabolical design to succeed...It will shake country's foundations... We are ready to fight the battle," she had said.

Commenting on the meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said, "Let Sonia Gandhi meet President. She has all the right the President if the latter gives her time. What kind of tolerance Sonia Gandhi is talking about. There should be no tolerance for terrorism."

On Sunday, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu alleged there was a "systematic, orchestrated and malicious" campaign by opponents to target the BJP-led NDA even as he stressed that while fringe elements should be segregated, not everybody should be painted with the same brush.

"This is a systematic, orchestrated, malicious campaign across the country by our opponents for whatever reason. Some people are misled and some people are misleading them.

"This is not good for the country," the Urban Development Minister had said at a cultural event in an apparent reference to the protest by authors, filmmakers and intellectuals over what they have charged is "growing intolerance" in the country.

(With additional information from PTI)