Kamal Nath and Randeep Surjewala were addressing the media in Bhopal.
The proposed rally of the opposition INDIA alliance in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal in the first week of October has been cancelled, top Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath said today. Discussions regarding the rally are going on with the Congress President and other partners of the INDIA alliance, Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala said, adding that no final decision has been taken on when and where it will now be held.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed the INDIA alliance cancelled its first rally as people are angry that they "insulted" Sanatana Dharma.
"This is the anger of the public. Sanatana Dharma was insulted and was called dengue and Malaria. The people of Madhya Pradesh will not tolerate this insult of Sanatana Dharma. INDI alliance must understand that they have hurt our faith and this won't be tolerated at any cost. People of MP are angry and they (INDIA alliance) were scared therefore they cancelled their rally. The public's anger is against the INDI bloc and Congress. The public will not leave them,” he said, adding that there is no strength in the alliance's leadership.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, Mr Chouhan said there's a lot of chaos within the grand old party, and people are fighting over whose photo is included in posters.
"In BJP, everyone is involved in working during elections," he added.
Earlier, INDIA bloc had decided to hold their first joint public meeting in Bhopal in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh in the first week of October and said the constituent parties would start seat-sharing talks at the earliest.
The first meeting of the Coordination Committee of INDIA was held at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in the national capital.
Kamal Nath and Mr Surjewala were addressing the media in Bhopal regarding their party's state-wide 'Jan Akrosh Yatra', which translates to public anger march, ahead of assembly elections in the state.
Seven Jan Akrosh Yatras of the Congress will start on Ganesh Chaturthi, which is on September 19, the party said. They will cover 11,400 kilometres in all 230 assembly segments of Madhya Pradesh in 15 days. The yatras will be led by senior leaders, including veteran Congress leader and leader of opposition (LoP) in the Madhya Pradesh assembly Dr Govind Singh.
Other leaders who will lead the yatras include ex-union ministers Arun Yadav, Kantilal Bhuria, Suresh Pachouri, Congress Working Committee member Kamleshwar Patel, ex-MP minister Jeetu Patwari, and former LoP Ajay Singh 'Rahul'.
Asked who will be the Chief Minister if Congress comes to power in the state, Congress national general secretary in-charge for MP, Randeep Surjewala, pointed towards Kamal Nath, who was seated next to him. Though the party's top decision-making body, the CWC, will decide whether Kamal Nath will contest the elections, Mr Surjewala said.