Jungle raj in Delhi: Sonia
From Shubhabrata Bhattacharya
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 15 — Congress workers in Delhi looked enthusiastic for the first time in a decade and a half as Mrs Sonia Gandhi gave a boost to their party’s campaign for the Delhi Assembly election by launching an all-out, no-holds-barred broadside against the BJP government.

She drew applause from the large crowd gathered at the Indira Gandhi Park of Sultanpuri, in north-west Delhi, when she said that for the first time in the history of India on the occasion of Divali people did not have oil for lighting lamps.

She offered a new theory about the spiralling onion prices: according to her, India was now importing from abroad the onions it had exported earlier. This comment also drew applause from the large gathering.

"Meri behnen ghar nahin chala pa rahi hain (My sisters are unable to run their households") the Congress president said as she named commodity after commodity — potatoes, lintel, rice, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, edible oils, wheat flour — and their skyrocketing prices. "Dibbe band tel se bhi bimari phail rahi hai (even packed edible oils are causing illness"), she thundered.

Her 15-minute long speech, delivered in Hindi, also covered the people’s woes regarding electricity, water, transportation, health services and sanitation. "Sarkar ki gairzimmadari ki keemat aam aadmi utha raha hai (the price of government’s irresponsibile behaviour is being borne by the common man"), she said.

Admitting her party was not flawless, she said the people should vote for the Congress because it was a party which had a responsible past and a vision of the future. The 44 years of Congress rule were marked by the successful policies of the Congress and the hard work of the people of India who responded to the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, she said and asked for a anti-BJP vote because people’s faith had been shattered. ("Aap ke vishwas ko thukraya gaya hai, Aap ki ummidon ke saath dhoka hua hai").

Mrs Sonia Gandhi also referred to the BJP’s attempt to communalise the education system and described BJP’s rule as "jungle raj" prevailing in Delhi.

Before she addressed the rally, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, set the ball rolling by identifying the woes of Delhiites. After Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s address, a number of Congress candidates were introduced by her to the audience.

An upbeat mood was discernible in the rally. After many years Congress leaders and workers were seen in a cheerful mood.

Apart from the success of today’s rally, there was reason for cheer emanating from the tidings from the West — in the BJP-Shiv Sena ruled state of Maharashtra, the Congress has won five of the six seats of the State Legislative Council the results of which were announced today.

Sidelights

IT was onion, onion all the way. As the onion shaped hot air balloon appeared at the rally site. The audience were more than thrilled to finally have a look at an onion. Pointing at the onion balloon, Sunita Kumari explained to her four-old daughter "this is what we don’t eat these days."

* * * *

Seventy five-year-old Ramkrishan was happy to finally have a look at the onion. "We know how much onion matters to us. At least I can have my dinner tonight just by remembering the onion. So what if it is only a hot air balloon?"

* * * *

Rupa Devi, a septuagenarian, said "the BJP was telling us that Sonia Gandhi was a videshi and she does not know our culture. I found her to be quite a desi with a saree and her speech similar to ours."

* * * *

From children to the aged, everyone became restless the moment Sonia Gandhi entered the rally ground. Everybody jostled to have a glimpse of her. When asked will you vote for the Congress, many replied in the negative. "We are here to see how she looks like."

* * * *

The police had a tough time controlling the crowd as everybody wanted to have a look at her. An old lady, who was being pushed around commented "saab kyo nazar laga rahe ho meri Indira Gandhi ke bahu ko."

* * * *

Security was tight and rallyists had a tough time in reaching the rally ground. Long queues were seen outside the venue and tempers ran high and hot words were exchanged between the police and the public.

* * * *

It was the price rise which established the rapport between Sonia Gandhi and the audience. The moment she referred to it, the audience clapped in unison, the longest time during her 10-minute speech.

* * * *

The rallyists had to walk quite a distance as the buses and the trucks in which they had come were stopped a few kilometres from the site.

* * * *

All hell broke loose, the moment Sonia Gandhi finished her speech as the rallyists rushed outside to catch a glimpse of her. The police had to swing their baton to keep the surging crowd under control.

* * * *

The rally ground looked jampacked with about 15,000 persons. When mediapersons asked whether large number of persons have come to attend the rally, a senior police official remarked "so many assemble even if a nullah is being laid in this area."

* * * *

Residents of Sultanpuri-Majra, one of the backward areas of the Capital, where the rally was held hoped "now Soniaji has seen the condition in which we live, hope she changes our living condition."