Rahul Gandhi set to resume ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ after his extended foreign trip forced Congress to put the campaign on hold

On 17th July, Rahul Gandhi will travel to Dehradun as part of the
Image via NDTV

On 17th June, the Indian National Congress launched “Chhatron Ki Goonj,” a nationwide outreach initiative aimed at targeting the Modi government from Kota with a grand display of enthusiasm and fanfare. However, the drive, which was supposed to provide a platform to Indian students to voice their concerns and challenges, lost its momentum within a month when Rahul Gandhi, who is in charge of the campaign, opted to extend his foreign visit, forcing its postponement.

Hence, the political program was altered not in response to the pressing nature of the situation, as consistently alleged by the Rae Bareli MP and his party, but rather to accommodate his convenient schedule. He is set to resume the already fizzled-out mission from Dehradun on 17th July and interact with students there. He has reportedly returned to India.

The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition took to social media to introduce the same and claimed, “Corrupt, unjust, biased, dishonest – these four words are not mine. These are what the country’s students are using today for India’s education system. And the truth is this – India’s education system has now become a dishonest extortion mechanism. The system that was meant to prepare children for their future is today pushing them and their families into debt, stress, and despair.”

He further charged, “It is this corruption that has given birth to the paper leak mafia – which robs years of hard work from millions of preparing students in one fell swoop. Here, guilty vendors and officials get tenders and promotions. And who gets the punishment? The students, who are left alone with their shattered dreams.

“The Modi government and the Education Minister are watching all this. But they have chosen silence – turning their face away from accountability. And in the media? Just a long silence. Enough is enough now – now is the time for a revolution in education,” Rahul Gandhi announced in his stereotypical rhetoric against the central government.

The party’s campaign calendar earlier conveyed that rallies would take place in Prayagraj on 10th July, Patna on 11th July and Delhi on 14th July. Dehradun was designated as the next destination for the mobilisation. However, the programs had to be delayed due to Rahul Gandhi’s conspicuous absence amid his pet anti-Modi project.

Last year, he similarly vanished during the intense election in Bihar following the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” and targeting the Modi government along with the Election Commission of India over unsubstantiated accusations of vote theft and conspiracy to disenfranchise voters. Thus, Rahul Gandhi’s disappearance act, especially into other countries, is not a new phenomenon but rather a recurring trend where he consistently abandons domestic issues after proclaiming them to be of great significance.

Meanwhile, BJP leader AmiMalviyaya has asked, “Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip between 22 June and 13 July remains shrouded in mystery. Where did he go? Who did he meet? Who sponsored his travel and stay,” adding that his whereabouts must be declared to the public in political and national interests. The former Congress chief’s foreign travels have consistently been a subject of controversy.

On the other hand, no other senior Congress leader was either willing or prepared to take the lead and assume responsibility of Chhatron Ki Goonj during this period. The leadership void could only be addressed with the return of the Gandhi scion, emphasising how he is fundamentally seen as the party’s nucleus where everything revolves around him. It has been observed repeatedly that Congress effectively experiences policy paralysis, rendering it incapable of progressing with any decision without his presence.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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