As the Gujarat Legislative Assembly convened for its crucial budget session, opposition Congress hit the streets of Gandhinagar with a high-voltage ‘People’s Anger Rally’ on Monday. The focal point was the Union government’s move to dismantle MGNREGA, a lifeline for rural poor, in favor of the new Viksit Bharat employment mission bill.
The rally drew a diverse crowd: party heavyweights, elected representatives, grassroots workers, aggrieved farmers, indigenous communities, medical staff, and NGO activists. It was a clear message from Gujarat Congress that they won’t let rural employment guarantees fade quietly.
Taking the stage, AICC’s Mukul Wasnik unleashed a barrage of criticisms. He detailed farmer woes, women’s plight under oppression, youth mired in job scarcity and poverty, and corruption at unprecedented levels. ‘Both state and central governments remain oblivious,’ he charged, targeting CM Bhupendra Patel and PM Narendra Modi.
Economic mismanagement came under fire next. Wasnik claimed self-reliance rhetoric masked growing US dependence, citing an unfair trade pact: 18% American tariffs on India versus India’s zero on US imports. He pledged relentless agitation until regime change in Gujarat.
State chief Amit Chavda outlined massive jan sampark drives spanning 5,000 km in key regions. He accused authorities of harassing young people over narcotics, alcohol, and caste issues, plus siphoning MGNREGA funds through shady commissions.
Tushar Chaudhary decried endemic graft from local bodies to national legislature, spotlighting forest department atrocities on tribal workers. Veterans like Mahesh Vasava rallied around protracted jal-jangal-zameen battles, while Geniben Thakor and Anant Patel lamented governance failures in tribal areas.
With the budget session underway, Congress plans non-stop agitations on pressing matters. Eyes are now on 2027 elections, where Rahul Gandhi’s star power could galvanize the base. This opening salvo positions Congress as the voice of the marginalized in Gujarat.