Congress leaders urge Rahul to return as president

The twin themes of price rise and unemployment dominated the discourse at the Mehengai Par Hall Bol rally by the Congress on Sunday, even as key leaders urged Rahul Gandhi to return as party president, took potshots at leaders who quit the Congress recently, defended freebies and attacked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The twin themes of price rise and unemployment dominated the discourse at the Mehengai Par Hall Bol rally by the Congress on Sunday, even as key leaders urged Rahul Gandhi to return as party president, took potshots at leaders who quit the Congress recently, defended freebies and attacked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and others during the party's 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol' rally on price rise, at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

Addressing the rally, Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Chowdhury urged Gandhi to return as Congress president. “We want Rahul Gandhi as president,” Chowdhury said ahead of the party’s presidential election on October 17. Gandhi will walk 3,500 km, he said, before turning his focus on leaders who quit the Congress, possibly targeting Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“Entering the Congress or leaving it is very easy. But staying in the party is the real deal. Anyone can come or leave, but remember, the Congress is like a river that will reach its destination,” Chowdhury said.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s stand on freebies and claimed that the BJP in power is not fighting against price rise, but only fighting against Rahul Gandhi. “Now, there is a debate on revdi (freebies). When Congress fights for poor people, they call it revdi. When Modi gives to chosen people, it is rabdi, not revdi,” he said.

The other Congress chief minister, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, attacked Kejriwal for his “lies”, compared the Modi government with fascism and said: “Modi wants Congress-mukt Bharat. In past so many years, no Gandhi family member has been the Prime Minister or any minister. What is your problem with the Gandhi family?”

While he maintained that India is respected because of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi, Congress leader Tariq Anwar claimed the rally against price rise is to “awaken the sleeping government”. “The Congress party had thrown out the British, and now we have to fight to change the current situation,” Anwar said.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said women were finding it difficult manage household budgets due to spiraling prices. Party general secretary Mukul Wasnik dubbed Modi as an “abiineta” (actor). A key G23 leader, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda joked how a customer pays a higher price for a second dosa as “by the time he finished first, cooking gas price has gone up.”

Party veteran Kamal Nath highlighted unemployment as the biggest challenge and said there is a high crime rate against women. “Can the BJP teach the Congress what is nationalism? Can they name a single leader who participated in independence movement? You give Rahul power. In the coming days, the Congress flag will be hoisted in Parliament and other assemblies,” Nath said.

The new Jammu and Kashmir party chief Vikar Rasool Wani questioned “how can a farmer run his family, educate his children and get his daughter married in such (high) inflation?”