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After police go-ahead, stage set for Rahul’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’
The programme had appeared to be in jeopardy after the KP Trust initially withdrew permission, citing legal and educational concerns, while continuous rainfall over the past three days left the venue waterlogged. However, the trust granted approval on Thursday night, following which Prayagraj police issued formal permission on Friday, paving the way for the event.
The stage is set for the Congress’s mega student outreach programme, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, after Prayagraj police on Friday granted formal permission for the event, a day after the KP Trust withdrew its objections and allowed the use of the KP College ground.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will interact with students on Saturday on issues affecting the country’s education system, including recurring question paper leaks, recruitment examination scams, rising unemployment and the lack of fair career opportunities for young job seekers. Around 40 Congress MPs from across the country are expected to participate. Six MPs from Uttar Pradesh parliamentary constituencies had already arrived in Prayagraj by Friday morning, including Kishori Lal Sharma, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Tanuj Punia, Rakesh Rathore, Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi.
The programme had appeared to be in jeopardy after the KP Trust initially withdrew permission, citing legal and educational concerns, while continuous rainfall over the past three days left the venue waterlogged. However, the trust granted approval on Thursday night, following which Prayagraj police issued formal permission on Friday, paving the way for the event.
By Friday morning, more than two lakh students from 23 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including the Purvanchal region, had registered online for the programme. Organisers expect the number to reach around 2.5 lakh by the time the event begins. More than 5,000 students from neighbouring districts had already arrived at the venue by Friday evening.
Congress district media spokesperson and event coordinator Haseeb Ahmed said preparations had been underway for more than a month and that the entire youth-led organising team had been appointed by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
“Young people facing issues related to the education system and employment were asked to give a missed call on a designated number. A registration link was then shared with them. Till Thursday night, around 1.74 lakh registrations had been received, which crossed the two lakh mark by 9 am on Friday. We expect registrations to exceed 2.5 lakh by Friday night,” Ahmed said.
He added that special arrangements had been made for two delegations comprising family members of youths who allegedly died by suicide after being affected by examination paper leaks.
According to Ahmed, all Congress MPs and senior leaders were invited because the programme focuses on issues concerning the country’s youth.
“Confirmation from around 40 MPs has been received. Six leaders, including Kishori Lal Sharma, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Tanuj Punia, Rakesh Rathore, Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi, arrived in Prayagraj on Friday morning. Others are expected to reach by Friday night or Saturday morning,” he said.
Ahmed said Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to arrive at Prayagraj Airport from Delhi at 3.30 pm on Saturday and reach Anand Bhawan by 4.15 pm. He will interact with students at the KP College ground from 6 pm to 8.30 pm before returning to the airport and departing for Delhi by a special flight at 9.30 pm.
Former UP Congress Committee spokesperson and programme coordinator Kishore Varshney described the event as a “Mahakumbh of Students”.
“We had initially sought permission to hold the programme at Parade Ground as we expected a turnout of nearly five lakh students, but the district administration declined permission. The KP College ground will now provide a platform for students to voice their concerns over the challenges arising from a collapsing education system,” he said.
A bike rally led by Congress workers was also taken out from the Students’ Union Hall on Friday evening. The rally passed through various parts of the city before concluding at Anand Bhawan.
The KP College ground, which had become heavily waterlogged following continuous rainfall, was cleared overnight using four 7HP pumps—two brought from Haryana and two from Lucknow.
The venue features two German hangar stages, including a main stage for Rahul Gandhi and another designated for VVIPs and family members of students who allegedly died by suicide over examination paper leaks.
A team of 220 labourers has been deployed to arrange 22,000 chairs, lay carpets and install barricading across the venue. Eight large LED screens have been placed at strategic locations, along with loudspeakers to ensure visibility for attendees, while surveillance cameras have been installed for crowd management and security monitoring.
Organisers have also set up box office-style counters at the entry points to distribute wristbands and informational booklets highlighting the role of youth in shaping the country’s future.
