Intolerance part of political strategy: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that incidents of communal intolerance are on the rise and are a part of a well-planned political strategy.

"The sad incidents that are taking place across the country are a part of a well thought out political strategy, which is being done to divide the society," Sonia Gandhi told the media after meeting President Pranab Mukherjee at the head of a party delegation.

"Intolerance is being promoted," she said.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said an atmosphere of intolerance was being manufactured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

"The atmosphere is being manufactured by BJP-RSS people… The heart of the problem lies in their ideology," he said.

Congress leaders on Tuesday assembled near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the parliament house complex and marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against rising intolerance under the BJP-led government.

The Congress leaders carried placards that said the party will fight communalism and no attempt should be made to disrupt the unity of the country.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said there is an atmosphere of intolerance and fear in the country.

Before starting the march, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice president Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh paid floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

(IANS)