Congress Plenary Session faces mosquito menace, Sonia Gandhi given fly repellent gel

Congress Plenaries are supposed to be top gala affairs. Nothing is left to chance. From media to workers everyone is pampered. The AICC Plenary at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium hit multiple hurdles from the beginning. The foremost came from mosquitos.

Such was the menace that from workers stand to media section it became impossible for the journalists to sit at one place at stretch. Though fumigation in the morning did take place, people responsible for keeping the venue mosquito free were already worried. Mosquitos did not distinguish between VVIPS, workers, and media. All were at the receiving end. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had to be given mosquito repellent gel. All senior leaders in front of the dais also faced the brunt of mosquito attack. Some cribbed that they could not sit properly for long.
 
Second mismanagement was related to food and water. Both ran out quickly. Such was the situation that bottled water was not available inside the stadium post afternoon. A lot of people had to scramble out of the stadium to hunt for water and food. Media remembered better-coordinated sessions of Burari and Hyderabad. Though later in the day, media food stall got its quota of water and coffee.

Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi launched a spirited defence of much beleaguered Congress Party at the plenary session. She charged Narendra Modi-led government of doing everything to destroy the Congress Party. Sonia said that despite the onslaught, Congress is not going to back down. Sonia said that present dispensation tinkering with constitutional propriety and not following the Parliamentary traditions.

Strong words like 'draamebazi' were used by Sonia Gandhi to target the government. She even accused the government of the day to weaken projects started by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.