Rahul Gandhi Indore Chhatron Ki Goonj Postponed September 19

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s proposed “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme in Indore has been postponed by a week after the Madhya Pradesh government denied the Congress permission to hold the event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, giving the opposition a fresh political flashpoint with the Mohan Yadav government even as the Congress seeks to turn education, examination irregularities and unemployment into a national electoral issue.

The programme, originally scheduled for September 12, will now be held on September 19 at a venue that the Congress is yet to finalise. On Wednesday, State Congress president Jitu Patwari announced that the programme was being postponed after a review of preparations.

The party is seeking to mobilise around 50,000 students from Indore and surrounding areas.

The immediate dispute is over the Nehru Stadium, which is under the Indore Municipal Corporation. Congress leaders had sought to hire the centrally located stadium for the programme, arguing that “Chhatron Ki Goonj” was not a conventional political rally but an interaction with students on issues including education, employment and their future.

Patwari had written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav seeking permission for the September 12 programme, saying Rahul Gandhi’s event was “not a typical political event” but a public dialogue concerning “the future of the country, the dreams of youth, the right to education, and the security of the education system.”

Indore city Congress president Chintu Choukse had argued that the “Chhatron Ki Goonj programme is not a political event” and therefore “there is no question of Rahul Gandhi’s live concert not being allowed at Nehru Stadium”. He had said that if the ruling party nevertheless refused permission, “a student- and youth-opposed ruling party” would be responsible.

Choukse had also alleged that an administrative refusal would reflect political pressure, saying: “If permission is not granted, it will be understood that administrative officials too are afraid of Rahul Gandhi’s movement and campaign under pressure from the ruling party, due to which the municipal corporation is objecting even to giving the Nehru Stadium on rent”.

The civic administration, however, has maintained that the decision is governed by existing restrictions on the use of the stadium. Municipal commissioner Kshitij Singhal had said that the administration would take a decision only after examining “the guidelines previously given by the High Court regarding any kind of programme at Nehru Stadium.”

Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava subsequently said the Madhya Pradesh High Court had clearly stipulated that the stadium could be used for sports activities or state-level government programmes. The government’s position has therefore been that the issue is one of compliance with the court’s directions rather than opposition to Gandhi’s political programme.

The dispute comes as the Congress is expanding its “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign across states, using student interactions to raise questions about examination paper leaks, the cost of education, government recruitment and unemployment.

The party has already held programmes in Kota in Rajasthan, Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra over the past three months. The campaign seeks to bring together concerns around education and employment, particularly those affecting students and candidates preparing for competitive examinations.

Party leaders say Madhya Pradesh is an important stop in that campaign. Indore is a major education centre and the Congress is seeking a large student turnout for Gandhi’s interaction. The event would also bring the party’s national campaign on education, examinations and employment directly into a BJP-ruled state.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the... Read More