Pandemonium mars Congress workers’ meeting

NAGPUR, MARCH 28: A meeting of the city and rural Congress workers organised Sunday to plan the proposed `Save Constitution' rally in the ...

NAGPUR, MARCH 28: A meeting of the city and rural Congress workers organised Sunday to plan the proposed `Save Constitution’ rally in the city on April 14, was disrupted by a section of slogan shouting city Youth Congress and NSUI leaders.

YC leaders stormed into the Rural Congress Committee’s Indira Gandhi Bhavan, the venue of the meeting, raised slogans against District Guardian Minister Shivajirao Moghe and threw pillows and mats. It went on for quite some time as the YC leaders paid no heed to senior party leaders’ plea for restoring order. The YC men questioned the authority of rural Congress committee office bearers, who had issued a statement convening a joint meeting of city and rural Congress functionaries at Indira Bhavan. They argued that it amounted to encroachment on the rights of city Congress committee office-bearers. They also insisted that a separate meeting of city Congress and YC functionaries be held at city Congress committee’s office in Devadia Bhavan in presence of the Guardian Minister. They alleged that the city leaders were not consulted by the party leaders and ministers even during crucial meetings for chalking out party programmes.

In fact, the drama began in the morning at Ravi Bhavan cottage of the guardian minister when both city and rural Congress committee office bearers reached there. There was a heated argument over the manner in which the meeting was convened. City YC office-bearers who insisted that a separate meeting be held at its office in Devadia Bhavan, also demanded that the guardian minister should come to their meeting first.

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But Moghe refused to make any commitment. Later he decided to attend the Rural Congress committee meeting first. As he reached the venue, a group of YC and NSUI men led by Raman Paigwar, Raju Vyas and Raja Dronkar stormed the meeting and started shouting slogans. A scuffle ensued as rural Congress committee general secretary Nana Gawande, former legislator Avinash Pande and others tried to prevent them. The situation was saved as senior leaders intervened. The Minister also agreed to attend Devadia Bhavan meeting.

When Moghe reached Devadia Bhavan, YC men present there apologised for what happened earlier at Indira Bhavan. They also said they will co-operate in moblising masses for the Save Constitution rally. The party has decided to organise a massive rally in city on April 14 in presence of party President Sonia Gandhi, to protest against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government’s decision to review the Constitution. The party has also planned to hold a meeting of workers at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall on April 1 in presence of CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, MPCC Chief Govindrao Adik and AICC office bearers. It was also decided to hold ward-wise and village level programmes in the district for mobilising masses for the rally.

The Indira Bhavan meeting was addressed by former MP Banwarilal Purohit, former legislators Madhukar Kimatkar, Avinash Pande, Ashok Dhawad and Bhau Mulak and district committee president Vasantrao Mankawade.

Present at Devadia Bhavan meeting were Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar, city Congress Committee President Kishor Kashikar, legislator Nitin Raut, Banwarilal Purohit, S Q Zama, Raman Paigwar, Sewa Dal’s Ram Govind Khobragade and Mahila Congress President Jayanti Majumdar.

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