On a day that is marked to commemorate the Quit India Movement, Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi said that he was detained at Santa Cruz Police Station as he left his house to attend a silent march to August Kranti Maidan on August 9. The event was being held to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Quit India movement.
“For the first time in the history of Independent India, I have been detained at Santa Cruz Police Station as I left home to commemorate 9th August Quit India Day. I am proud My Great Grandparents Bapu and Ba had also been arrested by the British Police on the historic date,” Tushar Gandhi wrote on Twitter.
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While replying to comments on his post, Tushar further said, "Our silent March to August Kranti Maidan is seen as a threat to law and order."
Quit India Movement
The movement is a major milestone in the history of India’s struggle for independence from the British rule. The movement in August 1942, with Mahatma Gandhi’s call for immediate independence, was launched at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank, which later came to be known as August Kranti Maidan due to its association with the historic occasion.
More than 100,000 people were arrested and detained while around 1,000 people were killed, and more than 2,500 were injured during the movement. The movement lost its steam after key leaders like Gandhi and Nehru were imprisoned by the British. However, the movement is remebered as a key step towards India's independence from British rule.
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People visited the August Kranti Maidan today morning and offered floral tributes at the Gandhi Smruti Stambh. This is the ground from where Mahatma Gandhi gave the clarion call of ‘do-or-die’ for independence.
Modi Recalls Movement
Recalling the Quit India movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is now speaking in one voice against corruption, dynasticism, and appeasement.
"Tributes to the greats who took part in the Quit India Movement. Under the leadership of Gandhi Ji, this Movement played a major role in freeing India from colonial rule," he said in a tweet.
However, in an apparent dig at the opposition's newly formed alliance, Modi said, "Today, India is saying in one voice: Corruption Quit India. Dynasty Quit India. Appeasement Quit India." Modi has repeatedly accused opposition parties of pursuing the politics of corruption, dynasty and appeasement, calling upon people to shun them.
The references to "politics of corruption and dynasty" were also raked up during the first day of the debate on the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Tuesday wherein BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had said, "This No Confidence Motion has been brought. Why has this been brought? Sonia ji (Gandhi) is sitting here...I think she has to do two things - Bete ko set karna hai aur Damad ko bhent karna hai...That is the base of this Motion."
On the second day of the debate, Lok Sabha MPs observed a minute's silence as a tribute to the freedom fighters, commemorating the 1942 Quit India Movement. BJP MPs protested outside the parliament premises, remembering the historical movement. "Today is an important day. In 1942, Gandhiji asked the British to quit India, so we are asking corruption, nepotism and appeasement to quit India," BJP MP Manoj Tiwari Said.
