Sharad Pawar, Hardik Patel, Omar Abdullah hold 'Save Constitution' march in Mumbai, to stage sit-in protest at Gateway of India

Mumbai: Opposition leaders Sharad Pawar, Sharad Yadav, D Raja, Hardik Patel, Omar Abdullah, Dinesh Trivedi and Sushilkumar Shinde met on Friday, ahead of the ‘Save Constitution’ march. The meeting took place at the official residence of Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in south Mumbai. NCP leaders Praful Patel and DP Tripathi and former MP Ram Jethmalani were also present. Trinamool Congress has deputed Trivedi, a former railway minister, for the Opposition march. The ‘Save Constitution’ march is being seen as an attempt to consolidate anti-BJP forces ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. [caption id=“attachment_4142951” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. PTI[/caption] The Maharashtra unit of the BJP too has organised ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in the city today. Independent MP from Maharashtra Raju Shetti, the convener of the ‘Save Constitution’ march, who was also present at the meeting, said participants will gather at BR Ambedkars statue near Mumbai university and walk to Shivaji Maharajs statue at the Gateway of India. “This will be a silent morcha (march). After reaching the Gateway (of India), they will stage a sit-in for some time. There will be no speeches,” he said. Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan and Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam will also take part in the march. Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is also expected to attend. Sharad Pawar (NCP), Sharad Yadav (rebel JD(U) leader), D Raja (CPI), Hardik Patel (Gujarat’s Patidar leader), Omar Abdullah (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference), Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) and Sushilkumar Shinde (Congress) attended the meeting. The BJP is organising ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in the city on Friday, apparently to counter the Opposition event. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said that several ministers, MPs and MLAs will participate in the Yatra. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will address the gathering when it converges at Kamgar Maidan, he said. The procession will start from Chaityabhumi, the memorial of BR Ambedkar in Dadar, before reaching Kamgar Maidan in central Mumbai.