‘BJP will be wiped out in Maharashtra’

Always frenzied Dadar saw more crowds than usual on Friday evening as the opposition INDIA bloc capped off a twoday meet with Congress felicitating Rahul Gandhi for his reinstatement as Member of Parliament standing up to big bully BJP The evening function was held at the Congress headquarters the Tilak Bhavan Dadar with the lane leading up to the venue packed with general public curious shop owners taking a break from buzzing retail and a media packHouse fullInside the house full hall posters like lsquoModiji ki batti gul aise hai hamaare bhaiya Rahulrsquo Rahulrsquos leadership means Modirsquos lights are out set the tone for the evening Several women held banners reading lsquoMahilaao ki yehi pukaar Congress sarkar ab ki baarrsquo the women have one demand a Congress government at the helmA welcome organised for Rahul Gandhi outside Tilak Bhavan PicSayyed Sameer AbediAs announcements were being made about Rahul Gandhi nearing the venue rallying cries resounded ldquojodo jodo Bharat jodorsquo and lsquojudega Bharat Jeetega INDIArsquo As the leaders entered a young man clambered onto a chair and let out a war cry lsquoRahul Gandhi sangharsh karo hum tumhaare saath hairsquo strive Rahul Gandhi we are with youSilence pleaseMallikarjun Kharge president Indian National Congress INC took the mike first up and told the Congress workers and supporters ldquoplease be silent now keep that josh energy for the next elections listen up nowrdquo Kharge welcomed Rahul Gandhi to the Tilak Bhavan as it was his firstever visit to the Mumbai space He then said strongly ldquoI allude to how Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Parliament by Modi and his people The way they have troubled him They wanted to silence the voice that spoke for the poor and unemployed youthThey tried to silence Rahul Gandhi but the junta did not sit quiet each person realised and experienced that Modi sarkar was a dictatorship and they thought we must teach them a lesson That is what Rahul Gandhi did taught them a lesson and reentered Parliamentrdquo Shouts and applause drowned his voice for a second He then peppered his speech going back to what he said was Rahul Gandhirsquos mantra lsquoDaro mat darenge toh marengersquo Kharge called for unity within stating when you fight as one there can be nobody who can defeat yourdquoHistory lessonsRahul Gandhi set a gaga for Raga tenor as he reminded people that when Modi came to power ldquohe claimed there will be Congressmukt Bharat Do you rememberrdquo he asked as the crowd roared ldquoyesrdquo Well said Rahul ldquoeven England which was then a superpower could not achieve Congressmukt Bharat so what will Modi dordquo The leader then said ldquoIt was in fact the Congress which threw them outrdquoGandhi then referred to the recent Adani controversy which brought out how close Modi and Adani are One discerned though that maybe even the workers seem weary of this subject The speech sparked a reaction when he spoke about Adani and Dharavi as Dharavi resonated with Mumbaikars Raga then called the party one of lsquoBabbar sher and sherniyaan toorsquo lions and lionesses He then claimed that these fierce felines do not fear but the PM BJP and RSS ldquoare scared of Congressrdquo He told the people that the BJP will be wiped out in Maharashtra and that the INDIA bloc will win the next electionThere were claps on the back for the karyakartas ldquowho shed their blood and sweat for the partyrdquo said Gandhi adding that they were like ldquofamilyrdquo Gandhi said we do not ldquowork with violence and hate In fact we go into their houses into their nafrat ki bazaar and open a mohabbat ki dukaanrdquo Whistles rent the air as he mimicked a serious Modi face saying the PM looked like this in Parliament ldquohe should not even smile by mistakerdquo and ldquoso do his followers try to look the samerdquo There were howls of laughter at this In the end Gandhi stated ldquoI felt good to be in Mumbai Amongst you all I think I am talking to Priyanka and my motherrdquo he said He ended strongly with ldquoMaharashtra is the nucleus of the Congress It begins with thisrdquoThose who were awaiting some remarks on how so many parties will work together what kind of person if not a name are they looking as the face for PM or even some salient points about the just concluded meet may have been disappointed Even his disqualification and what he learnt from it would have been a good subject as some of all this has been an oftrepeated line combating hate with love unity and the Adani factor The opening of a Congress social media war room at the Bhavan was also announced proving we inhabit a parallel universe and a digital world Election battles are now fought on both platforms