Stepping up the attack on the Narendra Modi government over price rise in the run-up to the September 4 Mehangai Par Halla Bol rally, the Congress held press conferences across 22 cities and reviewed the preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra that begins on September 7.
The press conferences and strategy meeting for yatra is also to send a signal that it is business as usual for the party that has seen the exit of one of its stalwarts, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had squarely blamed the former party chief Rahul Gandhi for demolishing the consultation mechanism.
Rahul Gandhi’s post
Mr. Gandhi, without referring to anyone, wrote a Facebook post in which he claimed that he would continue to raise the biggest problems facing the country today such as unemployment, inflation and growing hatred despite personal attacks on him from the government.
“If the politics of hatred, fear and vendetta will be done by the government for raising the issues of the people, then we are ready to face everything. Make as many attacks on me for telling the truth, I will not back down,” the former Congress chief said, adding, “People are being put under the burden of unemployment, inflation and taxation, against which we are going to start Bharat Jodo Yatra. I am not alone in this fight, every citizen of the country is with me and together we will unite India”.
In the evening, general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal presided over a meeting of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries, AICC State in-charges, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents and State coordinators of Bharat Jodo Yatra to not only review the preparations but also plan programmes for the States that are not a part of the main yatra route.
“The yatra is going to happen only in 10-12 States. Wherever the main yatra is not going, there should be a street-level Bharat Jodo Yatra . For example, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, northeastern States, in all such States, from October to next January, respective PCC presidents and Congress legislature party leaders will hold the Bharat Jodo Yatra in their respective States,” Mr. Venugopal said.
‘BJP is worried’
Calling it a historic padayatra in independent India, he added, “This is going to be a massive and historic padayatra and that’s why, I think, the BJP is very much worried about it. They will do all sorts of diversionary politics”..
Mr. Venugopal said that the Congress leaders were focused on making the padayatra a grand success and raise the issue of unemployment, economy, social polarisation and divisive politics.
“All the workers of the Congress party are in a great enthusiastic mood. Wherever our leaders are visiting to organise this yatra, that enthusiasm is visible at every level,” he noted.
