Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Indore postponed after permission denied

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore, scheduled for September 12, has been postponed to September 19 after the state government denied permission to use the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the venue, the party said on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari announced the postponement at a meeting to review preparations for the programme. He said the party would now identify an alternative venue and make arrangements accordingly.

Patwari had earlier written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav seeking permission to hold the event at the stadium, arguing that Gandhi’s programme was not a conventional political gathering but a public dialogue on issues including the country’s future, the aspirations of young people, the right to education and the security of the education system.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is under the jurisdiction of the Indore Municipal Corporation.

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said the Madhya Pradesh High Court had clearly held that the stadium could be used only for sports activities or state-level government programmes.

The Congress had sought to mobilise around 50,000 students from Indore and neighbouring areas for the event. City Congress president Chintu Choukse had also warned of a protest if permission to use the stadium was denied.

‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ is a student-dialogue campaign launched by the Congress, through which the party has been organising programmes in cities across the country.

The campaign focuses on issues including alleged examination paper leaks, the rising cost of education, irregularities in government recruitment and unemployment, providing the Opposition party a platform to target the BJP on issues affecting students and young people.

Congress has already held ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programmes in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune over the past three months.

The Indore programme will now be held on September 19, with the Congress expected to announce the new venue after finalising arrangements.