Cong President sounds Congress poll bugle in Haldwani
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
HALDWANI, 8 Aug: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday sounded the party’s bugle for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly polls with a scathing attack on the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the State. Addressing the massive Vijay Shankhnaad Rally at Ramleela Maidan here on Saturday afternoon, Kharge accused the Modi and Dhami governments of failing to provide jobs but allowing corruption and recruitment irregularities to flourish. Kharge claimed that under the BJP, the education system has been weakened and that the BJP is using religion for political gains. In a nearly 47-minute speech, he targeted the BJP on issues ranging from unemployment, Government recruitment, state of education and examination papers leak to inflation, decline in law and order, corruption and religious faith.
The Ramleela Maidan was packed with the Congress workers and supporters as the party sought to project the rally as the formal beginning of its campaign preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections. The Congress organisation had made extensive preparations for the rally, conducting public contact programmes across the State and appealing to workers to turn up in large numbers. The sizeable gathering was projected by the party as a show of strength and an indication that it had begun preparations to challenge the BJP in the State after remaining out of power for nearly a decade.
Kharge began his address by paying tribute to Uttarakhand state by describing it as the land of gods and the land of brave soldiers. Referring to the Kumaon and Garhwal regiments, he said the contribution of soldiers from Uttarakhand to the defence of the country is well known. He recalled that the first Param Vir Chakra was awarded posthumously to Major Somnath Sharma of the Kumaon Regiment and said the people of Uttarakhand can proudly say that they are a people who have protected the country and have fought for it and made sacrifices for its freedom.
The Congress President also launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the RSS, questioning their contribution to the freedom struggle. Kharge alleged that neither the BJP nor the RSS had participated in the freedom movement and accused them of now repeatedly invoking nationalism despite their alleged lack of contribution to the struggle for Independence. He said the Congress and its leaders and workers had fought for the country’s freedom and made sacrifices, and asserted that Congress workers are not afraid of anyone.
He said that the people of Uttarakhand are not scared of anyone and they bend only for sake of the nation.
Taking up the issue of unemployment, Kharge attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the promise of creating two crore jobs every year after coming to power in 2014. He said that instead of millions of jobs being created, lakhs of young people were still struggling to find employment while around 30 lakh posts in the government sector remained vacant.
Kharge said that the people should ask what happened to the promise of two crore jobs every year. He said that it is BJP’s habit to mislead the people with promises and trapping them. He claimed that on the other hand, Congress does what it says.
Kharge assured the youth of Uttarakhand that in case Congress returns to power, recruitment would be based on merit and young people would not have to pay money or seek recommendations to secure government employment. He alleged that under the present system, money was speaking louder than merit and that recruitment mafias had flourished.
The Congress president also raised the issue of alleged irregularities and paper leaks in recruitment examinations, particularly referring to examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission. He alleged that paper leaks had virtually become an industry and that jobs were being sold to those who had money and political connections.
He said Congress had supported young people who had protested against paper leaks and recruitment irregularities and had also raised the issue in Parliament. Referring to protests by youngsters at Jantar Mantar, he alleged that the protesters had been subjected to excessive force and claimed that water cannons, tear gas and other measures had been used to suppress their agitation. He questioned the government’s refusal to answer the issue in Parliament and asked whether responding to the questions of citizens was not the responsibility of a democratic government.
Kharge broadened the unemployment argument to include the education system, claiming that the country was producing degrees without adequately equipping young minds with required skills. He referred to the target under the National Education Policy of connecting a substantial proportion of students with vocational education and alleged that the target had not been achieved to the desired extent. He also claimed that India produces around 50 lakh graduates every year while only about 28 lakh graduate-level jobs are created, leaving a large number of young people without suitable employment opportunities.
The Congress president alleged that the Centre’s economic policies were benefiting selected large industrial groups instead of creating adequate employment-generating investment. He said Congress had a clear vision for the country and that the party would work to fulfil the aspirations of the people if voted back to power.
Kharge also attacked the Uttarakhand government over the condition of education in the State, alleging that schools were being closed and that there was a shortage of teachers. He questioned how children from poor families would receive quality education if schools continued to shut and teacher vacancies remained unfilled. He accused the BJP government of pursuing policies that were not in the interest of the poor and claimed that Congress had consistently worked for weaker sections and would continue to do so.
The Congress president also made corruption one of the central themes of his speech, launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He alleged that leaders who were earlier accused by BJP leaders of corruption were welcomed into the BJP and subsequently received relief from the very allegations levelled against them.
Describing it as the politics of a “washing machine”, Kharge said those whom the BJP first placed in the dock were subsequently embraced after joining the party. He alleged that corruption cases were treated differently depending on whether a political leader was in the Opposition or had joined the BJP.
Kharge said Congress had consistently fought against corruption and injustice and would continue to fight to ensure that public money was used for the benefit of the people.
He also accused the BJP and RSS of exploiting religion for political purposes. Kharge clarified that Congress was neither against God nor against religious faith but said that corruption and theft could not be justified in the name of faith. Referring to controversies related to the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines, he alleged that those accused of wrongdoing in connection with temple offerings were themselves using religion to target others.
He claimed that whenever he attempted to raise such issues in Parliament, BJP members created a commotion because they feared that the alleged wrongdoing would come before the public. He accused the BJP and RSS of misleading people in the name of religion and said that religious faith should not become a means of political exploitation.
Kharge also referred to the Ankita Bhandari murder case, alleging that justice had not yet been delivered and accusing the State government of failing to properly address the case. He alleged that the case had not been pursued to the satisfaction of the people and linked the issue with his broader charge that law and order had deteriorated in Uttarakhand. He said those responsible for such failures should not remain in power and called upon people to remove the BJP government through democratic means.
Taking a swipe at the Uttarakhand government’s “double-engine” slogan, Kharge alleged that taxpayers’ money was being spent on government publicity rather than on addressing the problems of ordinary people. He also questioned the impact of E20 petrol on consumers and said that people were already facing an economic burden.
Kharge sought to underline the contribution and capabilities of the people of Uttarakhand, saying that the State had no shortage of talent. Referring to scientific and technological achievements associated with people from the State, he said Uttarakhand’s people had demonstrated that they could achieve major things through their talent and resources.
He appealed to Congress workers to remain united and strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level. He asked party workers to go among the people and explain what he described as the reality of BJP policies. He said Congress had a clear vision for the future of the country and would focus on employment for the youth, dignity for women and access to healthcare for every family.
“Tum mera saath do, vision Congress ke paas hai,” Kharge said, seeking public support for the party in the coming Assembly elections.
Referring to his own political journey, the 85-year-old Congress president said he had been serving in politics for nearly 58 years and had risen through the organisational ranks, from the block level to the post of national president. He said he had worked as an MLA and MP and had come up through the organisation rather than being parachuted into a leadership position.
Kharge said that although he could not run like young people at his age, he could hold the hands of the people and move forward with them. He appealed to voters to reject the politics of hatred and support the Congress in its fight against injustice.
The rally, however, was accompanied by a political confrontation outside the venue as Congress leaders accused the police administration of deliberately stopping buses and vehicles carrying party workers to the programme. Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, along with party workers, staged a sit-in outside the SSP office in protest against what they alleged was unnecessary checking and obstruction of Congress supporters.
Arya alleged that Congress workers’ buses were being stopped at various places without justification and accused the police administration of working as an agent of the government. Haldwani MLA Sumit Hridayesh also levelled allegations against Nainital SSP Manjunath TC, claiming that vehicles carrying people to Kharge’s public meeting were being stopped.
In a Facebook Live interaction, Hridayesh alleged that although Manjunath TC was the SSP of Nainital district, he was behaving like a BJP district president. He warned that Congress would launch an agitation against what he described as the police administration’s partisan conduct.
Tension was also reported at Pantnagar Mor during checking of buses carrying Congress supporters to the rally, where a heated argument took place between former MLA Rajkumar Thukral and police officials. Thukral allegedly accused the police officers of acting as BJP agents and deliberately preventing buses from reaching the Congress meeting.
Congress leaders described the Haldwani rally as the beginning of the party’s preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections and said the massive turnout demonstrated the enthusiasm among the party cadre. Congress state in-charge Kumari Selja, Godiyal, Arya and other senior leaders had already described the rally as politically significant and maintained that the party would use it to sound the election bugle in Uttarakhand.
With the BJP still in power in the State and the 2027 Assembly elections gradually moving into focus, the Haldwani rally marked an attempt by Congress to move beyond organisational mobilisation and put issues such as unemployment, recruitment irregularities, corruption, education and law and order at the centre of its political campaign. Kharge sought to project Congress as an alternative with a “vision” for Uttarakhand while repeatedly urging the electorate to give the party another opportunity to govern the State.
He said Congress would continue to raise the people’s voice from the streets to Parliament and asserted that the party, as the country’s oldest political organisation, had a long record of fighting for the rights of ordinary citizens. Seeking the people’s cooperation for the coming electoral battle, Kharge called upon them to unite against what he described as hatred, injustice and corruption and bring Congress back to power.
Top Congress leaders including leader in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, PCC Chief Ganesh Godiyal, Leader of the Opposition, Yashpal Arya, local MLA Sumit Hridayesh, Harak Singh Rawat were among those present on the occasion.
