Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' not Congress event, it's open to all, says party's Maharashtra chief Harshwardhan Sapkal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Chhatron Ki Goonj student interaction programme scheduled to be held in Pune on Saturday is open to everyone and is not a Congress party event Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal said on ThursdayHe stated that the programme which focuses on students issues was launched by Gandhi as a nationwide campaign It began in Kota in Rajasthan followed by programmes in Dehradun and Prayagraj The Pune event will be the fourth programme under the campaign and will focus specifically on girl studentsThe Chhatron Ki Goonj is not a Congress party programme but is open to everyone Sapkal saidThe programme will be held at the SSPM ground in Pune on Saturday August 22 Congress leaders inspected preparations at the venue on Thursday and later addressed a press conference thereSenior leader and CWC member Balasaheb Thorat Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Satej alias Bunty Patil All India Congress Committee secretary Rehana Chishti Maharashtra Congress senior vicepresident Mohan Joshi former minister Ramesh Bagwe senior spokesperson Atul Londe Pune City District Congress East president Prashant Jagtap and West president Deepti Chaudhary were among those presentSapkal said Pune was chosen for a special programme for girl students because of its historical association with Rajmata Jijau and Krantijyoti Savitribai PhuleHe said Jijau had instilled the values of Swarajya in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Pune while Savitribai Phule had started a school for girls in the cityBJP trying to end rights of Bahujans alleges SapkalSapkal alleged that the BJP had been attempting to end the rights of Bahujans since coming to power in 2014The BJP has started a practice of offering opportunities in exchange for financial greed he allegedHe claimed that the Vyapam scam had now spread across the country and alleged irregularities in examinations such as NEET court recruitment examinations and TETHe also alleged that paper leaks had become widespread and claimed that the BJP was attempting to implement One Nation One Examination along the lines of One Nation One ElectionAccording to Sapkal the alleged plan involved selling examination papers to specific caste groups and those willing to pay money while attempts to split political parties were aimed at creating One Nation One PartyExaminations and education are two sides of the same coin he saidSapkal claimed that examination papers had been leaked 154 times in the past 12 years He said the Congress had submitted a proposal in Parliament to discuss the issue but alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had avoided the discussionHe said Gandhi had launched the Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign to bring about a transformation in the education systemSapkal hits back at Fadnavis over Chhatron Ki GoonjReacting to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticism of the Pune programme Sapkal said Fadnavis had fumbled while commenting on the eventHe referred to an event held by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat with members of Gen Z and alleged that it was meant for selected studentsThat was a matchfixing programme Fadnavis may feel that Chhatron Ki Goonj should be like the fixed match of Mohan Bhagwat but this programme is open to everyone If he wants to send anyone he should send them Sapkal saidSapkal said Fadnavis was highly educated and should know what a barcode is and described the chief ministers criticism as a pitiable act and an ignorant statementHe alleged that the BJP and Fadnavis were making such statements out of fear because of the response being received by the Chhatron Ki Goonj programmeTo the BJP Rahul Gandhi is visible everywhere Sapkal saidHe further claimed that the BJP had been alarmed by the response among young people to the programme and had therefore been forced to organise a Tiranga YatraStart singing Vande Mataram at RSS shakhasOn the ongoing political row over Vande Mataram Sapkal said there was no need for the Congress to respond to questions raised by the BJP and the RSS on the issueHe alleged that the RSS had not hoisted the Tricolour at its office for 50 years and said those who had not contributed even an iota to the freedom movement had no right to speak on the issueSapkal said the Congress had been singing Vande Mataram for 90 yearsThe Congress will sing the same Vande Mataram that was decided upon and sung by Subhas Chandra Bose Sardar Patel Pandit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi at a meeting held under the presidentship of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore he saidHe also challenged the RSS to start singing Vande Mataram at its shakhas