I have a relationship of sacrifice with people of Uttarakhand- RaGa
Friday, 17 December 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
The Congress party and Rahul Gandhi tried to strike an emotional chord with the armed forces veterans and their families during the Vijay Samman rally in Dehradun on Thursday. The rally was held to celebrate 50 years of the victory of Indian forces in the Bangladesh war. Huge cut outs of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, General Bipin Rawat and the officers and soldiers who lost their lives in the recent helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu were erected in the ground. Many veterans of the Bangladesh war and other ex-servicemen were seated on the stage. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the ex-servicemen and one minute of silence was observed to pay homage to the CDS General Bipin Rawat. The organisers also showed a small documentary on the Bangladesh war which showcased the bravery of Indian armed forces and the leadership skills of Indira Gandhi.
In his address, Gandhi said that he understands the pain the families of the martyrs undergo as he had lost his father and grandmother. He said that he was in school when he was informed that his grandmother had died as 32 bullets were pumped into her. Gandhi said that those who have no experience of anyone getting martyred in their family cannot understand this pain. He said that maximum blood for India in the war theaters is given by the soldiers of Uttarakhand.
In his address former chief minister and head of campaign committee of Uttarakhand Congress Harish Rawat remembered the role played by Rahul Gandhi in the aftermath of Kedarnath disaster. He said that when he became CM of Uttarakhand Rahul Gandhi asked him to reconstruct Kedarnath shrine which his government did. On a sarcastic note Rawat without mentioning the name of PM Narendra Modi said that the caves built by him were used by others for meditation. He said that the BJP government tried to impose Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board but the vehement opposition by the Teerth Purohits forced the government to do a roll back on it. Promising that the Congress government in Uttarakhand would work for the betterment of farmers and provide employment to the youth, Rawat said that the uncontrolled prices have made things difficult for the general public. He also assured that the Congress government would set up a model of women empowerment in the state. The leader of opposition (LoP) Pritam Singh said that the BJP had promised to waive off the loans of the farmers but it failed to fulfill it. He said that the mining, land and liquor mafia are ruling the roost in Uttarakhand. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal said that the huge crowd and the enthusiasm of the party workers in the rally clearly shows that the people of the state have made up their mind to bring Congress to power. Former PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya, deputy leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Karan Mahra, AICC Secretary Qazi Nizamuddin, In charge of Uttarakhand Congress Devendra Yadav, Avinash Pandey, Yashpal Arya, Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Tamta and others also spoke on the occasion.
