Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks at Ramlila Maidan in DelhiCongress ‘Halla Bol’ Rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan Highlights: Speaking at Ramlila Maidan Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the party along with other Opposition parties “together we will defeat the ideology of the BJP and the RSS”. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that since the BJP came to power, anger and hatred have increased. He added that Narendra Modi is still the Prime Minister thanks to the media and two businessmen.
Hitting back at the Congress, Sambit Patra termed Congress’ ‘Halla Bol’ rally as Parivar Bachao rally. “If I tell you truly it was a Parivar Bachao rally to save themselves,” he said. Targeting the Gandhis, he said,”…You cannot even share Congress with the Congressmen today. Only two people, as if playing (the game) musical chair, keep becoming president. No third person can become the president,” he said.
As reports emerged that Congress workers were detained during a march to protest the rise in prices of essential commodities, Delhi police denied it and said no Congress worker has been detained so far.
Earlier in the day, former Minister Jairam Ramesh told news agency ANI that the rally has nothing to do with the elections and is a befitting message to the insensitive central govt as the people of the country remain troubled by inflation and unemployment.
Meanwhile, Delhi police said that adequate security arrangements have been made in and around the Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi in view of the Congress’ protest. The Delhi Police has also issued a traffic advisory on its official Twitter handle, alerting the commuters about road closures on Sunday. Party workers from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, besides other parts of the country, will participate in the rally.
Hitting back at the Congress, Sambit Patra termed Congress' 'Halla Bol' rally as Parivar Bachao rally. "If I tell you truly it was a Parivar Bachao rally to save themselves," he said. Targeting the Gandhis, he said,"...You cannot even share Congress with the Congressmen today. Only two people, as if playing (the game) musical chair, keep becoming president. No third person can become the president," he said.
"Rahul Gandhi has the same script since 2014, it was an immature speech," said BJP's Sambit Patra. Gandhi said there is hatred and anger in the country when his speech had anger and fear, said Patra.
"Why should we always suffer? I went to AICC office in the morning and saw police assaulting Congress workers. We are always being targeted because we raise our voice against the BJP. It took me almost an hour to come here (ramlila maidan). We will not stop and keep protesting against the unemployment and price hike," said Sreesanth, member of the Seva Dal organization.
Saransh and his friends said it took them almost a day to travel from their hometown in Rajasthan's Pali district. "We all are graduates but don't have good jobs. Why should I support BJP? Modiji asks us to to sell pakoras (fritters) but I can't. My parents spent money for my studies. They took loans. I want to clear the debt and have a good job," he said.
Seema Pahwa and her friends came from Ghaziabad to attend the Bhoomi Poojan and support Congress. "We are hurt because nobody cares about the inflation and the Prime Minister is busy with other things. Our husbands run small businesses and hike in price of fuel and essential items affects us. We are not Congress workers. We are here to support them in their fight against the system."
Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech at Ramlila Maidan, said Congress' ideology can bring the country on the path of progress.
"I want to ask you whether price rise, hatred strengthens country... Narendra Modi and BJP are weakening the country. Congress party unites the country. We erase hatred and when hatred is erased, the country moves faster. This we have done for years. I want to tell Congress karyakarta that you can save the country. Congress ideology can bring the country on the path of progress."
"We want to talk on China attack, unemployment, price rise, but we are stopped. The institutions, whether it is the media, the judiciary, or the Election Commission, are all under pressure so that way has also been stopped. So the only way we have is to go to people. So Congress will start the Bharat Jodo Yatra. I want to thank you for coming so far. This is a fight of ideology and all the Opposition parties will come together to defeat BJP and RSS."
He concluded his speech by saying that all the opposition parties will come together and defeat the BJP and RSS.
Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech at Ramlila Maidan, said he is not afraid of the Enforcement Directorate and their questioning.
"The ED asked me to sit for 55 hrs... but I am not afraid of your [PM Modi's] ED. Whether it is 55 hrs or five months or five years."
"Narendra Modi's ideology says that country should be divided and the profits from it should be shared among few businessmen."
"Congress gave India the historical MGNREGA, but Narendra Modi government said in the Parliament that it's an insult to poor... today, if there would not have been MGNREGA, there would have been fires in the country. We took 27 crore people out of poverty and the Narendra Modi government, in the past ten years, has pushed 23 crores into poverty. Narendra Modi is taking the country backwards. This will help Pakistan and China and not India. The more there will be hatred and fear, the more the country would weaken... in the past ten years he has weakened the country."
Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech at Ramlila Maidan, said Modi cannot be the Prime Minister without support from the media or businessmen.
"The media is also of these two corporate houses, the whole of media is under those two businessmen. People know whose TV it is and whom they are working for. TV is of these two businessmen and papers are of these two businessmen. Narendra Modiji works for those two businessmen and those two businessmen work for Narendra Modiji."
"Narendra Modiji is the Prime Minister but he cannot be PM without those two businessmen. He cannot be PM without media. There is pressure upon all institutions whether it is judiciary... The only way we have is to go between people and tell the truth."
Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech at Ramlila Maidan, referred to the rise in the price of essential goods.
"I am not feeling good to say this but today the condition is such that even if the country wants, it won't be able to give employment. Because these two corporate houses doesn't give employees. It is small and medium enterprises that give employment and Narendra Modiji has broken their backbone."
"In one way, you are being affected by unemployment and secondly, you are hit by the price rise. Narendra Modiji asks what has Congress done in seventy years? I will say this, that in seventy years, Congress has not shown such price rise to the country. And when the Opposition wants to raise the issue then Narendra Modi's government doesn't allow it. Whether it is farmers' issue or the China attack..."
Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech at Ramlila Maidan, said Modi government's policies are benefitting only two big industrialists.
"BJP and RSS divide the country. They develop fear and divide people. Who gets the advantage of this fear? Is it poor, farmer, small traders who is getting any benefit from the Narendra Modi government? Only two corporate people are getting the benefit of hatred and fear."
"BJP giving all the benefits to two people. Now see Narendra Modi did notebandi. Did it help poor? The three laws were not for farmers but it was for those two corportate houses only. But the farmers came on the road and showed their power to Narendra Modi."
And when Narendra Modi saw this, he had to shelve the three farm laws, said Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi began his speech at Ramlila Maidan, saying that the status of the country is open for all to see.
Hate and division have increased since Modi came into power, says Rahul. He added that this hatred is a form of fear. "So when we say hatred is increasing, we can also say fear is increasing. Fear of unemployment...fear of price rise," he added.
Here's the live feed of the Congress rally in Ramlila maidan in Delhi.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, speaking at the rally, said the condition of the country is such that the Constitution is being demolished.
"Modiji used to say that he will give 2 crore jobs every year. Anna Hazare used to hold agitation then... Kejriwalji is now misguiding people," he said.
People are worried, but they are not able to say anything because [the Centre] is misusing ED and CBI, added Gehlot.
The Congress Sunday took a dig at the Centre on the issue of price rise, saying unemployment and inflation were "two brothers" of the Modi government.
Ahead of Sunday's 'Mehngai par halla bol' rally of the party at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the rally was not being held to canvas for the 2024 polls, but to highlight the two "biggest challenges” of inflation and unemployment to the people.
"Modi government has two brothers – unemployment and inflation. Modi government has two brothers – ED and CBI," the Congress leader went on to say.
"People from 12-13 states are coming and we want to send an effective message to the insensitive Modi government that people are suffering from this back-breaking inflation and unemployment and solutions should be found for them," Ramesh said. (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was welcomed onstage at Ramlila Maidan with slogans of 'Rahul Gandhi Zindabad' on Sunday.
Rahul Gandhi is a clear favourite of the Congress workers gathered at Ramlila maidan, with posters of the former party president being seen around the site. Here are a few snapshots from the rally.
Delhi police Sunday said that they picked up protesting Congress workers and dropped them in designated protest sites. No one was detained, it added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet on Sunday, said that the rise in price of essentials have made people think 10 times before buying necessities.
Hemant Tiwari, Additional DCP (New Delhi), has denied reports that Congress workers were detained during a march against price rise.
'None of the Congress protesters has been detained so far,' said DCP Tiwari.
Delhi Congress Sunday said that a huge crowd of supporters have gathered at the Ramlila Maidan ahead of the rally.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has arrived in Delhi ahead of Congress' 'Halla Bol' march, reported news agency ANI.
Former Minister Jairam Ramesh Sunday said that the 'Halla Bol' rally is a befitting message to the insensitive central govt as people of country remain troubled by inflation and unemployment, reported news agency ANI.
Preparations are underway at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi ahead of today's Congress rally. Reports said that Rahul Gandhi is expected to address the gathering in the afternoon.
Adequate security arrangements have been made in and around the Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi in view of the Congress' protest on Sunday, officials said.
The Delhi Police has also issued a traffic advisory on its official Twitter handle, alerting the commuters about road closures on Sunday.
According to police, paramilitary forces will be deployed along with the local police at the venue for the rally and metal detectors will also be placed at the entry points of the ground. (PTI)