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Huge Congress rally against Raje

Photo: GOPAL SUNGER

Protest rally: Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot with other party leaders showing crops which were destroyed due to severe cold conditions in the State at a rally in Jaipur on Tuesday.

JAIPUR: The Congress party held a massive rally here on Tuesday to highlight “misrule and corruption” of the BJP-led Government in Rajasthan. The show at Amroodon Ka Bagh grounds near the State Assembly complex matched the December 8 rally held by the State Government at the same venue to mark completion of its four years in power.

The Congress leaders, visibly encouraged by the large turnout, exhorted the people to “pluck out” the “corrupt” Government in the State in the elections due later this year and “banish the Queen” -- the reference they often made for Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

“There is only a big zero in Rajasthan Government’s account so far,” said former Chief Minister and Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot, who was the last leader to speak at the five-hour function. He termed Ms. Raje the mother (janani) of all corruption.

According to political observers here, the present PCC dispensation headed by C. P. Joshi and working president Parasram Mordia could surely take pride in the huge success of the rally, which was the party’s biggest mobilisation in recent times.

There were symbols aplenty in the post-Union Budget rally—though it was planned before they discovered it to be so “farmer- friendly”—with wizened farmers clambering the dais with bunches of ears of wheat and bundles of mustard to demonstrate the crop damage. The event had a two-pronged agenda—highlight the good work of the UPA Government and expose “misrule” of the BJP in Rajasthan.

“The countdown for the BJP Government in Rajasthan has begun,” said the young MP from Dausa, Sachin Pilot. “This is a blood-stained Government; it must go,” said Mukul Wasnik, Congress general secretary in charge of Rajasthan.

A resolution read out by PCC vice-president Chandra Bhan welcomed the Union Budget announcement waiving farmers’ loans worth Rs.60, 000 crores.

For the time being the Congressmen seemingly agreed to forget their internal differences over who would lead the party in the next elections.

Leaders from all factions marked their presence at the rally. The organisers carefully avoided projection of any local leader, including Mr. Gehlot, even though his first among equals position was too obvious to miss. The vocal rebel leaders including Narain Singh were present.

There were instructions to workers not to shout slogans in support of anyone other than party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The banner on the dais had the pictures of only Ms. Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and the legend, “Bhrasht Bhajapa ke ku-shasan ke khilaf gherao aur pradarshan”(Gherao and demonstration against the corrupt BJP Government’s misrule).

Though the original programme included surrounding the Assembly complex as well, the party leadership, after the marathon meeting, decided to call off the event at around 5 p.m.

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