It would a litmus test for the Congress president Nirmal Khatri to stage a historical demonstration against the state government to pressurise them for early implementation of Food Security Act. The show also holds significance as Congress all hopes rest on implementation of the said Act as they feel that it would boast the prospect of United Progressive Alliance government to once again come in power at the Centre.
Congress president who would camp here at Party head-quarter from Thursday is leaving no stone unturned to make it `success’ not just because that he will come on street against the Samajwadi Party’s government for the first time in lucknow but also as both Bharatiya Janta Party and Samajwadi Party had also planned a massive rally in Agra and Bareilly respectively on the same day i.e November 21. This will be for the first time since last Assembly elections that three major political outfits had organised their big shows on the same day and now a tough fight is already on between them that who will outnumbered other at least in terms of maximum presence.
Nirmal Khatri who took charge of state president from Rita Bahuguna Joshi in August 2012 has only arranged one major show against wrong doings of the State government when he organsied a rally at Dharna Sthal (Jhulelal Park) on March 23 last. However, he never come on road. Besides the above rallies, he organised demonstration against the state government in connection with power tariff hike in June this year but Khatri surprised everyone when he himself took command of protest against the government in Etah and let former state president Rita Bhauguna Joshi steal that show by leading the cadre in lucknow.
Khatri had ealier also made calls some calls for district-wise demonstration like to demand better support price for cane growers, deteriorating law and order etc but all these
shows failed to make any noticeable impact. Even in majority of districts, the party activists never come on road or had organise any demonstration on call of Khatri. Even recently, media persons learnt of demonstration by Congressmen at district head-quarter to put pressure state government for implementing of Food Security Act, only when Khatri revealed about it during a press-conference here at lucknow.
Sources said that now to make successful demonstration against state government on non-implementation of Food Security Act, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was not happy with a turn-out in his four thank giving rallies organised in Aligarh, Rampur, Hamirpur and Deoria on the same issue last month, had reportedly given
directions to Khatri during his meeting on last Monday that all out efforts should be made to make Party’s presence felt in the State during the said show. Now Khatri who already hold a meeting in this regard with the Party leaders last week, will reach lucknow on Thursday morning. Besides organizing a function to celebrate birth anniversary of former prime minister Pt Jawahar lal Nehru on Thursday, Khatri will also hold discussions with senior leaders to
ensure a good turn-out during his protest on November 21. Directions have been also passed on to all the central ministers hailing from UP as well as eight zonal incharges, their co-ordinators, district and city presidents etc that they will come along with maximum of party workers to lucknow on the above day so that Congress would out class their counterparts BJP and SP by showing maximum strength in comparison to the one turned out in Agra and Bareilly on the same day.