Congress party is following politics of despair: BJP

"The Congress has become an enemy of peace in this nation," BJP leader MJ Akbar said while addressing a press conference here.

"The dynasty is following a politics of despair," he said.

Akbar said the leaders of the party are 'morally and politically bankrupt'.

Protesting against the growing 'intolerance' in India, Congress president Sonia Gandhi led her party's leaders in a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan here where a memorandum was submitted to President President Mukherjee.

Sonia Gandhi slammed the Centre and said 'intolerance' is being 'encouraged' in the country.

"Congress delegation met the President of India and have handed over to a memorandum to him," Sonia Gandhi told reporters.

Attacking the Centre, she said , "Intolerance is being encouraged in this country, we will fight this atmosphere tooth and nail."

Sonia Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'silence' on the issue of intolerance.

"Although the President of India has spoken his mind,yet the PM is completely silent on these incidents," Sonia Gandhi said.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who also participated in the march, attacked Union Minister VK Singh for his "dog comment" on the killing of two Dalit children in an arson in a village in Haryana in a caste violence.

"A minister of this Govt has compared to innocent people burnt to death with dogs," Rahul Gandhi said on Singh's remarks.

"Large number of people have made it very clear that they are unhappy with the way this Govt views this country," Rahul Gandhi said.

Attacking Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rahul Gandhi said: "The Finance Minister of this country says nothing is going on, may be he should go to the villages and see whats going on."

Jaitley earlier in the day said India has never been 'intolerant'.

"This country has never been and will never be intolerant," Jaitley said while addressing a press conference here.

Sonia Gandhi on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee to raise concern about the rising intolerance in the country.

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

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

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