The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha-led rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR) had started from the Gateway of India, Mumbai.
Sinha on Friday told : "The 21-day rally which started from Mumbai on January 9 is a peaceful protest against the CAA which has been imposed by the BJP on the country. The truth will surface someday and the party will have to face the consequences for its steps taken against the public."
When asked why he was protesting against the policies of the party of which he used to be a strategist, he said: "Till the BJP's policies were favouring the country, I was with the party."
Samajwadi Party spokesperson I.P. Singh, who will be leading the rally in Uttar Pradesh, told : "The BJP was planning to end this peaceful rally. We travelled through various states. If we do what we say then nothing is difficult."
"This peaceful rally is for everyone. According to a senior leader like Yashwant Sinha, this was the best possible way to protest against the CAA. Though the BJP-led central government and state BJP government tried their best to stop the rally but they failed. On Saturday, when we will reach Agra, the state government will try to impede it but I am sure that they will fail again because the aim of the rally is to protest against the draconian Act not to demand votes," he added.
The rally will reach Etawah on Sunday where Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will also join in.
From Etawah, Sinha and Yadav will lead the rally to Lucknow on Monday.
(Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be reached at sanjeev.c@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )