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No nod for Congress rally

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: The BJP-led Government in Rajasthan and the main Opposition, the Congress, are seemingly heading towards a confrontation over the latter's proposed demonstration in front of the Assembly next week at the start of the monsoon session. The Congress wants to hold its rally at the Amriton Ka Bagh grounds near the Assembly complex on October 5, while the Government has refused permission as apparently there is a ban on demonstrations in front of the Assembly.

It is true that of late all the rallies, including last month's farmers rally in support of former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and the rally by the Meena community were held at the Vidhyadhar Nagar stadium, some 12 km from the heart of Jaipur. Yet the previous year's siege by farmers, in the wake of which the Government agreed to a rollback in the increase of electricity rates for farm connections, was held at Amriton Ka Bagh only.

Moreover, this is the first time a political party is being denied permission to hold a rally in front of the Assembly. "We are going ahead with the plan to demonstrate in front of the Assembly. It is our democratic right," Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D.Kalla said after a meeting of the PCC Coordination Committee on Wednesday. "When the Assembly session is on, why should any Opposition party go 12-15 km away to hold a demonstration against the polices of the Government in power?" he asked.

The PCC meeting was unanimous on going ahead with the plan for the rally in front of the Assembly. "The Congress is willing to do any sacrifice to protect its democratic rights as a political party," the participants of the meeting, who included Leader of the Opposition, Ramnarain Choudhary and former Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur, said. "We have booked Amriton Ka Bagh ground for the day after paying Rs.20,000. There will be 50,000 party supporters demonstrating against the anti-people policies of the Government," K.C.Choudhary, PCC Treasurer, said.

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