Indore, Sep 15 (PTI) Two political heavyweights, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will visit Madhya Pradesh later this week to take part in different events, putting the key rival parties in a race for people’s attention and showdown on issues.
Both leaders are visiting the BJP-ruled state at a time when political discourse regarding issues concerning the new generation or Gen Z, particularly education and the need for reforms in the examination system, has gained momentum following a recent student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar led by the fledgling Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the BJP announced that on September 17 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday — Nabin will launch a new state-wide registration process in Indore under the central government’s ‘Swamitva Yojana’ (a scheme aimed at establishing clear property ownership).
Subsequently, the BJP chief will participate in the ‘Aarti’ (a Hindu religious ritual) of the sacred Shipra river and the ‘Aashirwad ka Diya’ (Lamp of Blessings) event in Ujjain, where approximately 25 lakh earthen lamps will be lit. On September 18, he will attend the ‘Bhasma Aarti’ at the Mahakaleshwar Temple.
This marks Nabin’s first visit to Madhya Pradesh since assuming the role of BJP president in January this year.
State Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters, “A decision has been made to grant property ownership certificates to 30,000 people in Indore and its surrounding areas under the ‘Swamitva Yojana’. Nabin will formally launch this campaign.” He said the BJP chief, who will be visiting Indore for a very brief period, has declined to attend any welcome rally and will participate only in the ‘Swamitva Yojana’ event.
Following this, on September 19, Congress MP Gandhi will interact with the youth at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) event in Indore, the state’s major educational and commercial hub.
Vijayvargiya took a dig at the inclusion of rap singers in Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) programme.
“They (Congress) are inviting these singers unnecessarily; Rahul Gandhi alone is sufficient for such activities,” the BJP minister remarked.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Nayak, head of the state Congress committee’s media department, said the education system has witnessed a “continuous decline” under BJP rule, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha would raise issues concerning the new generation at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event to be held in a ground near Regional Park.
Responding to a question regarding the CJP, Nayak said, “Recently, students protesting at Jantar Mantar shed the nation’s hesitation and demonstrated great courage. This movement has created a democratic space for opposition leaders to act.” He said Gandhi is effectively utilising this democratic space to bring issues relevant to the country’s youth to the forefront of public discourse.
The Congress initially sought permission to hold Gandhi’s event at Indore’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 12. However, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, citing a Madhya Pradesh High Court order, maintained the stadium could only be allocated for sports or state-level government events.
Subsequently, the Opposition party rescheduled the event to September 19 and was allotted a new venue, a ground opposite the city’s Regional Park, to host the fifth edition of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’.
‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ is a student outreach campaign launched by Gandhi, through which the former Congress president aims to corner the ruling BJP on issues such as question paper leaks, the high cost of education, irregularities in government recruitment, and unemployment.
So far, four editions of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ have been held under Gandhi’s leadership in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj, and Pune. PTI HWP MAS RSY
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