Paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on Martyrs' Day, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress called on all right-minded citizens to fight and defeat the ideology which killed the Father of the Nation.
Staging a silent sit-in in Jammu, the party on Thursday led by state president G A Mir along with hundreds of activists, former ministers and legislators wore black badges and carried placards of Save Constitution, Save India.
They hit out at anti-democratic and unconstitutional actions of the BJP led Central government that has disturbed the peace, social and religious harmony aside from weakening the Constitutional and democratic institutions in the country.
They observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the Father of the Nation and sung the National Anthem at the start and end of the demonstration.
Paying rich tributes to Gandhi, the Congress state president referred to the great contributions of the Father of the Nation for India and asked the people to imbibe his ideology and philosophy.
Mir said those glorifying Gandhi's assassin can never be the inheritors of the man's philosophy.
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The nation can only remain united and strong by following the philosophy of Gandhi, he said.
Mir further said that the Father of the Nation preached non-violence, religious brotherhood and truthfulness and to respect the diversity in our pluralistic society to keep the country united, strong, peaceful and maintain harmony.
India attained a place in the comity of nations as a messenger of peace with capabilities to maintain unity in diversity, the former minister added.
Today, the ideals and philosophy of Gandhi are under threat in the country and it is time to follow and strengthen his philosophy to defeat the communal and divisive forces, Mir further said.