Mumbai, Aug 09: Fasts against corruption, rallies to unite India and screening of films today marked the 61st anniversary of `Quit India' movement, when Mahatma Gandhi made the clarion call against Britishers from historic August Kranti Maidan here. Flagging off a `Kranti Jyot Yatra' of Congress, that will criss-cross Maharashtra to mobilise public opinion against BJP-led government at the Centre, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said it was high time to oust the NDA government for its 'failure' on all fronts.
He also announced that the state government would introduce an accident insurance scheme covering all school children and name it after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The government would work for the cause of the downtrodden, Shinde said adding "however, we can adopt a tough stance against those indulging in suppressing the neglected sections of the society”.
He later flagged off Kranti Day rallies of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee.
Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal unfurled the national flag at historic Gowalia Tank ground where the tri-colour was torn to pieces by the British on August 9, 1942.
An 18 minute-documentary film capturing the original scenes of national leaders launching the historic movement for freedom was screened at the Nehru Centre.
The black-and-white movie documents Gandhiji's famous clarion call `do or die' and the arrest of all major leaders of the freedom struggle at the historic Gowalia Tank in south Mumbai.
Bureau Report