Congress Postpones Mega Rally Against Price Rise In Delhi To September 4

The Congress on Thursday said it has postponed its mega rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi against price rise and unemployment to September 4 in view of the Covid situation in the national capital.

The rally was earlier scheduled for August 28.

"The 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol rally', which was to be held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on August 28, will now be held on September 4 at the same venue due to the Covid situation in the national capital and elsewhere," Congress general secretary of communications Jairam Ramesh told reporters.

While continuing its fight against price rise, the Congress party has also decided to organise a series of "Mehangai Chaupal" meetings in all assembly constituencies from August 17 to 23 that will culminate in the mega rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

"The rally will send a powerful message to the insensitive Modi sarkar," he later tweeted.

Top Congress leaders from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand were present at a meeting at the AICC here to plan for the mega rally. PCC presidents and senior leaders from these states were also present.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel were also in attendance.

The Congress will organise rallies against price rise and unemployment at the state level on August 22, district level on August 25 and the block level on August 27 to garner support and urge people to reach Delhi for the mega rally.

Mr Ramesh said the "Mehangai Chaupal" interactive meetings would be organised at mandis, retail markets and other locations in all assembly constituencies.

He said people will come from different states and this will send a strong message to the "insensitive" Modi government on price rise, hike in GST rates on essential items and unemployment. "We, as a constructive opposition party, are organising this as it is our democratic right to do so," Ramesh said.

The Congress will continue to spread awareness about the anti-people policies of the BJP government and increase pressure on it to change course, the party has said.

The party has also planned the launch of the "Bharat Jodo Yatra" from September 7 from Kanyakumari. The yatra, aimed at uniting the country, will culminate in February in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Ramesh said the Congress will undertake the 3,500-km-long "Bharat Jodo Yatra" from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to unite the people of the country, as he accused the BJP of dividing people. He said Rahul Gandhi will be present there.

He said the Indian National Congress' nationwide agitation on August 5 against the Modi government's "anti-people" policies strongly resonated with the people.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desperate attempt to tar legitimate protest as ‘black magic' only highlights the BJP government's insecurity about its failure to control rampaging inflation and unemployment," he earlier said.

The Congress will take this fight forward with a series of protests against price rise and unemployment in the coming weeks, he announced.

Mr Ramesh said the people were suffering because of the Modi government's "economic mismanagement", and the Congress will expose it.

"Inflation is being exacerbated by higher taxes on essential goods like curd, buttermilk, and packaged food grains, while the transfer of public assets to crony capitalists and the introduction of the misguided Agnipath scheme are making a bad employment situation worse," the former minister said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)