Congress to try and persuade trustees of Sevagram ashram to allow use of premises for its Central Working Committee meeting next month
Congress president Rahul Gandhi
It seems like Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his team will have to be more convincing if they have to get permission from the trustees of Mahatma Gandhi Sevagram Ashram to hold the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on October 2, the birth anniversary of the father of the nation.
Sources said the trustees have politely declined permission to the Congress for its meeting on the ashram premises, saying the place is not meant for political activities. "The trustees have conveyed this to the Congress leaders [party general secretary Ashok Gehlot and state unit president Ashok Chavan) who were in Sevagram (70km from Nagpur] on Monday to request for permission and also mobilise the local leadership," said a person who works closely with the ashram.
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Still hopeful
Sources said Congress leaders were still hopeful of getting permission. And, if they are not allowed to have it on the premises, they have an alternative plan ready. The meet would be held in the auditorium of one of the two professional colleges in the vicinity. The Congress may not get to hold the meeting on the ashram premises, but Rahul and the others could avail of the ashram's accommodation and food, said a local Congress leader.
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh will be part of the Central Working Committee meeting on October 2
"All our leaders may participate in the prayer on Gandhi Jayanti and they may even get a chance to make a speech or two at the prayer. We are exploring that arrangement," he said. The Congress also plans to hold a public meeting of Rahul and Sonia in neighbouring Wardha city. Initially, it had planned to have it on the Circus Ground in the heart of the city but the police have denied permission for security reasons. The party has been asked to find an alternative and safer venue.
'Chale jao'
The Sevagram ashram was set up by Mahatma Gandhi and it remained home to him till his death. It is where he conceived several agitations against the British Raj. Taking a cue from the freedom struggle, Rahul wished to make a clarion call akin to the 'Chale Jao' slogan — against the Modi Government, from Sevagram. Sevagram is not just symbolism for the party, said a Congress leader.
"The Mahatma [Gandhi] is the Congress and the Congress is the Mahatma. This is wwhat the people of this country know. But, of late, a certain party has been trying to own the very person who was assassinated by the people everyone knows about. We want to expose the hypocrisy and selfish motives of the BJP and Narendra Modi," said a Congress leader.
Congress CWC will bring to Sevagram (Wardha) senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and many others. The district is the perfect example of the agrarian crisis where thousands of debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide. Rahul is likely to walk with party workers to the ashram from Wardha city, meeting aggrieved farmers and youth along the way.
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