Poor response to Congress party’s public meeting in Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Congress’s public meeting in Gandhinagar to stage protest against the state government witnessed poor response with almost half the chairs empty at the venue. With most of the chairs empty, Congress leaders, mainly former MP Jagdish Thakor were seen making last minute efforts to ensure proper presence. The public meeting was addressed by state party president Bharatsinh Solanki among others. On previous occasions, same size of public meeting at this venue was seen jam packed with Congress cadre. During almost every budget session of Gujarat assembly, the opposition Congress party holds public meeting in Gandhinagar which is mainly participated by party cadre and also holds rally to gherao the assembly. Every time police grants permission to hold public meeting but denies approval for rally to assembly. Congress leaders stage arrest while trying to hold march to assembly. Today state party president Bharatsinh Solanki among others were detained by police while attempting to hold march to assembly. Meanwhile in his briefing to electronic media just outside the assembly building, minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja said Congress gathering in Gandhinagar today witnessed much lower presence than what was claimed.

Editor’s note: While Congress party is holding yatra, public meeting and march on the issue of Naliya (alleged)gang rape, the fact is, common citizens don’t seem much interested in this criminal case which belongs to remote part of Kutch and so much politics and media glare around it. The issue has become political issue and media issue but when the victim in rape case herself once-and-again says that she is satisfied with police actions so far, the Congress party’s claim of political interference in the case fails to get traction, and therefore it fails to become people’s issue. Stretching this issue further and further only shows that Congress has no other major issues in hand.

DeshGujarat