The Hindu : New Delhi News : High drama on Akbar Road

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 24, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

High drama on Akbar Road

Staff Reporter

A "sea of white" outside party office as leaders, workers gather to show support

CADRE PROTEST: Congress workers staging a protest in New Delhi on Thursday against the resignation of party president Sonia Gandhi from the Lok Sabha and from the post of chairperson of National Advisory Council. — Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI: Reminiscent of May 2004 when Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced her decision not to take up the post of Prime Minister, high drama was witnessed here on Thursday as hundreds of Congress leaders and activists came out with flags and banners and raised slogans in her support after she announced her decision to resign her Lok Sabha seat and also as chairperson of National Advisory Council.

No sooner did Ms. Gandhi's decision become known, than a "sea of white" descended on Akbar Road — which houses the central party office of the Congress and is a stone's throw away from Ms. Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence.

Holding aloft banners, flags and pictures of Sonia Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family, workers of the Congress, Youth Congress and National Students' Union of India, kept up an adulatory chant. Cries of `Sonia tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain' (Sonia, we are with you in your struggle), `Khali karo yeh raaste, Sonia Gandhi ke vaaste' (Clear the way for Sonia Gandhi) and `Sonia to ek aandhi hai, doosri Indira Gandhi hai' (Sonia is a storm, a second Indira Gandhi) often rent the air.

While young activists of the Youth Congress and the NSUI trooped up and down Akbar Road, those past their prime sat on dharna in the middle of the road.

Some stood atop vehicles and raised slogans from there, while others jostled near the police barricades beating their chests to show their anger and anguish.

A Congress loyalist with portraits and pictures of the Nehru-Gandhi family strung around his neck was seen making his way around in crutches.

As evening fell, there was no let-up in the energy levels. Leaders were seen making arrangements for food and bedding for those planning to keep the protest going all night long.

To visit constituency

PTI reports:

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to visit Rae Bareli in a couple of days.

Party sources said that no date has been finalised and she would visit her constituency as early as possible.

The people of the town reacted with shock and dismay to the resignation of their MP, but many vowed to ensure her re-entry to the Lok Sabha by an even bigger margin.

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