Rahul Gandhi: A fresh political storm has broken out in Indore after the Madhya Pradesh government refused Congress permission to hold Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach event, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The event was originally scheduled for September 12 but has now been pushed to September 19, with Congress scrambling to finalise an alternative venue.
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Congress Accuses BJP of Fear
State Congress president Jitu Patwari had written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, arguing that Gandhi holds the constitutional post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and that his programme was a genuine dialogue with students rather than a typical political rally. When permission was denied, AICC’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge Harish Chaudhary said the BJP government was rattled by Gandhi’s visit and was deliberately blocking the venue.
BJP Cites Old Court Order
The BJP hit back sharply, denying any political motive. Party leaders said the stadium falls under an old Madhya Pradesh High Court order that permits only sports activities or state-level government events there. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava reiterated this, adding that Congress was well aware it could not gather a large student crowd and was using the venue issue as an excuse. BJP’s Alok Dubey went further, claiming the programme lacked genuine student support.
What the Event Is About
‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ is Congress’s ongoing student-dialogue campaign, already held in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune over the past three months. Through the initiative, the party aims to target the BJP on issues like exam paper leaks, rising education costs, recruitment irregularities and unemployment. Congress claims it is working to mobilise nearly 50,000 students for the Indore leg.
Next Steps
Rahul Gandhi: With the event now rescheduled for September 19, Congress is expected to announce a new venue soon. Meanwhile, the war of words between both parties shows no signs of cooling down as Indore braces for another high-voltage political face-off ahead of Gandhi’s visit.
