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Pune : Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in Pune on Saturday to address the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event. He was welcomed by Congress leaders at Pune Airport, with several senior figures including Maharashtra Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal present. Ahead of the event, a war of words intensified between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. BJP MLA Ram Kadam alleged that students were being paid to attend the event, a claim the Congress has categorically denied.
Speaking at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Pune, Rahul Gandhi stated that he had come to listen to the youth, not to deliver speeches or discuss politics. He remarked that the *Manusmriti* contains a flawed interpretation regarding women, asserting that a woman’s identity is her own and that everyone is special in their own right. Rahul Gandhi described India’s 700 million women as the country’s greatest asset, noting that they possess greater foresight than men.
At the Pune event, Rahul Gandhi posed the question: “What is India’s greatest strength?” He stated that he was absolutely clear on this matter: the strength lies in the unique journeys and dreams that these 700 million women are living. By nature, women are more sensitive, gentle, compassionate, and forward-looking than men.
Ram Kadam alleged that the situation had stooped so low that students were being paid to attend the event. He claimed a “rate card” had been created, offering payment based on the number of students brought in. He questioned what kind of meaningful dialogue could take place with people attending solely for money, asserting that no one was coming to hear Rahul Gandhi speak—they were coming only because they were being paid. He maintained that these were not baseless allegations, pointing out that videos substantiating the claims were available on social media for public viewing. The BJP leader stated that now that they have run out of other issues, students are being used to generate talking points. However, the country’s students and youth are well aware that 12 years ago, India was the world’s 10th-largest economy, whereas today, it is the fourth-largest in terms of nominal GDP.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur hit back at these allegations. She said, “Let me tell you one thing: we simply do not have the money. Just look at the BJP’s accounts and then look at ours. Where would the money come from for us? We have no funds. The Congress is full of enthusiasm, and the young people are full of enthusiasm. No one is afraid.”
Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)
