Congress seeks relaxed security for Rahul rally

With its prestige at stake, the Delhi Congress has demanded relaxation in security measures taken by Delhi Police for party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s Sunday rally at Ramlila Ground in Ambedkar Nagar.

This is the same venue where he had faced humiliating indifference of the crowd during his speech before last Assembly elections in Delhi. 

He had to cut short his speech to six minutes as the spectators had started leaving. A senior Congress leader said the mistakes of that rally will not be repeated.

The party wants restrictions which deter spectators to be relaxed. 

Even in Sonia Gandhi’s rally on Sunday, many people were stopped by the security agencies as they were carrying car and house keys. 

“In such rallies, security agencies don’t even allow water bottles inside the venue. In the November 2013 rally of Rahul Gandhi, many visitors were diverted from one entry gate to another and finally, they went back. We are holding talks with Delhi Police to frisk and allow all spectators,” he said.

“We have requested police to let people carrying non-remote-controlled keys to enter the venue,” he added.

In the last rally of Sonia Gandhi, people were not allowed to stand outside the venue and asked to clear the area. “We have also requested police to let spectators stand outside the rally ground,” he said.

In addition to facilities for spectators, the party has arranged adequate amount of drinking water in the buses and other vehicles on which they will be brought to the venue.

Crowd mobilisation

Moreover, party’s South Delhi parliamentary constituency’s leaders have been asked to update the state unit headquarters about their day-to-day programmes for mobilisation of crowd for the coming rally.

On Wednesday, sitting MP and Congress candidate from South Delhi constituency Ramesh Kumar chaired five consecutive meetings with party workers from 9.30 am to 2 pm at different localities in the area to pull crowds at the rally.

Meanwhile, for the “success” of Sonia Gandhi’s Sunday rally, party’s state unit president Arvinder Singh Lovely and MLA Haroon Yusuf organised a thanksgiving ceremony for the key party workers on Wednesday.