New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Congress President Aradhana Misra-Mona on Monday hailed the recent INDIA bloc rally at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan as a historic turning point, pointing to an unprecedented turnout and widespread public participation.
Reflecting on the scale of the gathering and the energy of the attendees from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Misra-Mona noted that the event transcended standard political mobilisation.
“History was made yesterday at Ramlila Maidan. It was a historic turnout, not just a crowd, but a massive surge of people marking the beginning of a true mass movement. The enthusiasm displayed by party workers from Uttar Pradesh, citizens, and members of civil society was truly unparalleled,” Aradhana Misra-Mona told ANI.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress President further emphasised that the rally galvanised wide-ranging support, drawing in individuals who had previously stepped back from active political engagement.
“Even those who had not been active in Congress politics for a long time came forward, joining hands with great enthusiasm to strengthen Rahul Gandhi,” Aradhana Misra-Mona said.
The remarks come after the INDIA bloc on Sunday held a mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with top Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attending the event.
Meanwhile, on Monday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on the BJP, claiming that the ruling party’s “propaganda has been punctured” after the opposition INDIA Bloc’s anti-CEC rally in the national capital. He claimed that the event boosted sales for local businesses.
In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that the BJP was spreading fear of losses to traders and market shutdowns to defame the rally while discouraging people from coming to the national capital. He said it was obvious that people arriving from across the country would also shop.
“Every business operating in Delhi would benefit, directly or indirectly,” he said.
He alleged that this “false and irrational smear campaign” was aimed at diverting attention from the issues of “vote theft” and to “save” Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“But the exact opposite happened,” he said.
“The people of Delhi and those who came from across the country responded to this smear campaign in their own way. In response to Rahul Gandhi ji’s appeal, people went shopping in Delhi’s markets. Shops in the wholesale markets of Old Delhi opened, and business boomed. On top of that, people bought goods in abundance from small shopkeepers and street vendors too. Newspaper reports themselves are exposing the falsehood of this fake narrative,” he said, citing a media report.
Thanking traders, shopkeepers and Delhi residents, Ramesh said they had “embraced this appeal and stood with local business alongside democratic protest”.
“The BJP should understand that the voice of democracy cannot be suppressed by fear or smear campaigns,” he said.
Taking aim at the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the BJP, Ramesh said the country’s people had been watching their “antics” for 12 years and were no longer “falling for their tricks”.
“The public will protect the right to vote, carry on with business, and demand accountability too. Vote thief, step down from power!” he said.
The Congress leader’s statements contrast with claims made by the Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI). CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal on Sunday stated that Delhi’s trading sector suffered an estimated loss of Rs 10,000-11,000 crore due to disruptions caused by the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan.
Goyal said around 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity of the rally venue were affected, with approximately 2.5 lakh shops remaining closed out of the nearly three lakh shops in these markets.
Prior to the rally, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi had accused the BJP of “forcibly shutting down” shops in Delhi’s Connaught Place and inflicting financial losses on local traders ahead of the mega rally.
In a post on X, Gandhi claimed that people participating in the event were urged to support local markets, but found commercial establishments closed upon arrival. (ANI)
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