SHILLONG: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kick-start the party’s election campaign from Tuesday by attending a series of meetings in Jowai and Shillong.
The Congress on Monday painted a secular picture of the party and its president by stating that Rahul will mingle with all sections of the people including the youth to celebrate ‘Meghalaya’s way of life’ during his two-day visit to Shillong and Jowai.
The AICC leader, however, will not address any public rally during his visit.
While Rahul will be the chief guest at the music concert scheduled at Polo Grounds on Tuesday evening, he will also interact with various groups including religious leaders, women and students on Wednesday.
The AICC State Coordinator in-charge of Elections in Meghalaya, Yashomita Thakur said the concert is being held to celebrate peace and the State’s way of life and the event is much relevant “especially at the time when there is an attempt to go against the Constitution and to force people on how to eat and how to live”.
The working president of the party, Shillong MP Vincent Pala went on to add that the beef ban issue will be an election agenda of the Congress.
“The Centre has not withdrawn its notification on cow slaughter and it was the apex court which had stayed the Centre’s order,” Pala said.
When reporters pointed that the issue was not relevant in Meghalaya since the State continues to have the same food habits, another AICC coordinator for Meghalaya, Netta D’ Souza said that the people from the North-East who are residing in different parts of the country face various sorts of discrimination.
Thakur added that the concert will spread the message of preserving the liberal and secular fabric of the country.
She said the concert will also be an occasion to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi since January 30 is celebrated as Martyr’s Day throughout the country.
According to D’ Souza, Rahul’s itinerary includes his visit to Jowai on Tuesday afternoon from Guwahati to interact with the party functionaries followed by a meeting with the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee workers in Shillong in the evening.
After the meeting, he will proceed to Polo Grounds for the concert.
On Wednesday morning, Rahul will meet religious heads, delegations of students and chamber of commerce followed by an interaction with the media.
In the afternoon, he will also meet the traditional heads of the State. A separate interaction with women students at St. Edmund’s College is also on his itinerary.
