Congress postpones Rahul Gandhi's Indore student meet amid stadium access row
Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore is postponed to September 19 after authorities denied use of Nehru Stadium, citing court orders.
The Congress party has postponed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's student interaction programme in Indore by a week after the Madhya Pradesh administration refused permission to use the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The event, originally planned for September 12, will now be held on September 19 at a venue yet to be announced.
State Congress chief Jitu Patwari announced the deferment on Wednesday following a review of arrangements. The party had sought to gather around 50,000 students from Indore and nearby areas for the event, branded as 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Echo of Students).
Congress leaders maintain the programme is not a conventional political rally but a dialogue on education, employment, and the future of young people. In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Patwari argued the event concerned the right to education and the security of the educational system. Indore city Congress president Chintu Choukse warned that any refusal would signal that administrative officials were acting under political pressure and were 'afraid of Rahul Gandhi's movement'.
The civic body, however, says its hands are tied. Municipal Commissioner Kshitij Singhal stated that a decision would follow an examination of guidelines issued by the Madhya Pradesh High Court regarding events at the stadium. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava clarified that the court has stipulated the venue be used only for sports activities or state-level government functions, framing the denial as a matter of legal compliance rather than political opposition.
The postponement comes as the Congress expands its 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign across several states, using such interactions to highlight issues like examination paper leaks, rising education costs, and unemployment. Over the past three months, similar events have been held in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj, and Pune. Indore, a significant educational hub in the BJP-ruled state, is seen by party strategists as a crucial stop to bring this national campaign directly to a key political battleground.