A 20,000-strong crowd braved the searing heat to give a rousing welcome to Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a rally at Ram Lila Maidan.
A 20,000-strong crowd braved the searing heat (43.4 degrees C — the highest in 50 years) on Wednesday to give a rousing welcome to Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a rally at Ram Lila Maidan in the heart of the national capital.
Though the rally began an hour late, the crowd waited patiently to hear their ‘Madam’ speak. When Gandhi stepped on stage and waved, a thunderous applause accompanied by chants “Sonia Gandhi zindabad” and “Sonia Gandhi ki jai ho” greeted her. The chants continued even as state Congress president Jai Prakash Agarwal (also the party’s candidate from north-east Delhi) and chief minister Sheila Dikshit introduced the seven candidates of the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections.
As Gandhi walked to the podium, the chants stopped. Gandhi began her address by noting the importance of the venue of the rally. “From Jawaharlal Nehru to every other political leader of this country, everyone has addressed the nation from this very ground,” she said.
Gandhi struck the right chord with Delhi residents by praising the capital. “Dilli Bharat ka Dil hai, apne aap mei ek chota Bharat (Delhi is the heart of India, a mini India),” she said. The crowd once again burst into applause.
Despite the opposition’s attack against the Congress and the Gandhi family over withdrawal of red corner notice against Ottavio Quattrocchi, Gandhi chose not to comment on the issue. Instead, she highlighted the Indo-US nuclear deal and the UPA’s flagship projects such as NREGA, JNNURM and the loan waiver scheme. She engaged the audience on these issues, throwing questions at them. “Kya Congress party ki sarkar ke elava kabhi kisi sarkar ne NREGA jaisi yojna shuru kari, ya Rs60,000 crore kisano ke liye karz maafi ki yojna shuru ki? (Did any non-Congress government ever initiate a welfare scheme like the NREGA or give a loan waiver worth Rs60,000 crore to farmers)?” she asked. The answer boomed back, “Nahi, nahi (No, no).”
Gandhi then lashed out at the BJP’s claim that the Congress was not tackling terrorism strongly. “The BJP talks about tackling terrorism. They must look inward and ask if they are worthy of asking such questions. They want to divide the country. Indiraji and Rajivji sacrificed their lives for the country. The Congress does not need opposition parties to certify its devotion and determination on tackling terror,” Gandhi said.
She applauded the Sheila Dikshit government for carrying out “unprecedented development” in Delhi. She wrapped up her 10-minute-long speech by asking the crowd to say “Jai Hind” thrice along with her.
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