Indore, Sep 2 : Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday requested Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to make Indore’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium available for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme on September 12, amid a standoff with the civic body over the venue.
Earlier, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said the MP High Court had clearly stated that only sports activities or state-level government programmes could be permitted at the stadium.
City Congress head Chintu Chouksey had warned of a protest if permission for Gandhi’s programme was not granted at Nehru Stadium.
In a letter to CM Yadav on Wednesday, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari said Gandhi’s programme is not a simple political event, but a public dialogue focused on important issues such as the country’s future, the dreams of youth, the right to education, and the security of the education system.
The government should prioritise the spirit and broader social and national significance of this event, Patwari stated.
Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is a public representative holding a constitutional position, and therefore, making available Nehru Stadium for his interaction with students and youth would be appropriate given the event’s importance, he said.
Patwari urged Yadav to immediately take cognisance of the Congress’s proposal and issue necessary instructions to officials concerned to make Nehru Stadium available for the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme.
The Congress is trying to mobilise 50,000 students from Indore and surrounding areas for the youth outreach event.
‘Chhatraon Ki Goonj’ is a student-dialogue campaign launched by the Congress, under which programmes are being organised in various cities across the country.
Through this campaign, the Opposition party is attempting to corner the ruling BJP on issues such as exam question paper leaks, costly education, irregularities in government recruitment and unemployment.
Over the last three months, the party organised the event in Kota (Rajasthan), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) and Pune (Maharashtra). (PTI)
