Congress Press Conference in Gujarat on premature release of Bilkis Bano gang rape convicts on the occasion of "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav"

[Sukla Sen]

Quite obviously, this utterly shameful release - apart from all other considerations, has been done with the coming assembly poll in mind. In anticipation that regardless of the profoundly obnoxious character of the move, it'd be amply rewarded in the coming poll by way of harvesting the support of majority of Hindus in the state as had, indeed, been the case with the barbaric and bestial 2002 pogrom.

It's, by all means, an attempt to play the same trick or, for that matter, emulate the highly successful 80:20 campaign by Yogi in UP.

Under the circumstances, the decision on the part of the Congress - by far the largest opposition party in the state, to play on the front foot - to go right on the attack mode on this issue, in stark contrast with the other aspiring challenger, fledgling AAP on a high with its recent success in Punjab, keeping just mum, is just not principled and audacious, it's also the only sensible way.

Success, make no mistake, is, however, far from guaranteed.

It's, admittedly, a hard battle ahead - with the odds, generally, loaded against it, in so many ways.

But, meek submission is sure to bring in only ignominious disaster.

Let this spirit inform and fire up all those involved in resisting the evil regime in place - just out to gobble up "India" leveraging the vantage position that it's occupying. 

Let Gujarat show the way.

Let it be the turning point.

Let's all join the battle.

<https://fb.watch/e-33ylLybB/>

For a (much) shorter clip: <https://youtube.com/shorts/CyE0t8Q1dlk>.