Congress’ ‘halla bol’: workers gather at Ramlila Maidan, chant ‘Zindabad’ as Rahul enters venue

The Congress held a ‘Mehngai par halla bol’ rally in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to draw attention to the issue of price rise. The rally erupted with chants of ‘Zindabad’ as former party president Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the rally, entered the ground.

Party leaders, workers, and supporters in huge numbers thronged the venue from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, besides other parts of the country.

Some Congress workers were detained during the march but Delhi police denied the reports and said no Congress worker has been detained so far, reported The Indian Express.

Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh clarified that 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 adding that the two issues were "two brothers" of the Modi government.

Also read: Roads to avoid: Congress rally in Delhi, police issues traffic advisory

Rahul Gandhi and a host of party leaders addressed the rally.

The Congress’ rally coincides with former party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s rally in Jammu who recently quit the party and is likely to announce his own political party on Sunday. Azad’s exit was followed by the resignation of several Congress leaders and workers from the Jammu and Kashmir unit.

Requested to comment on Azad’s rally, Ramesh said he would speak about the Congress rally “not that of the BJP.”

Meanwhile, Delhi police said it has made adequate security arrangements in and around the Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi in view of the Congress’ protest. It also issued a traffic advisory on its official Twitter handle, alerting commuters about road closures on Sunday.

On the BJP's allegation that Congress was trying to divert people's attention from the issue of corruption through this rally, Ramesh said the party has been protesting against rise in prices for over a year.

"A rally was held in Jaipur. About 70 MPs were detained from Vijay Chowk. We have raised these issues inside and outside Parliament. We have held protests in various states. This rally is part of that series of protests,” said Ramesh.

The rally comes ahead of the opposition party's 3,500-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which will traverse the length of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir starting September 7.

Congress has said the rally’s aim is to highlight the issues of price rise and unemployment and to promote communal harmony in the country.

The party said its workers will continue to raise these issues as a responsible Opposition and will take to the streets to fight for the cause of the common people.