"Controlled monologue": Devendra Fadnavis hits out at Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj'; claims only handpicked students invited

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 20 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday called Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's upcoming "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in Pune on August 22 a "controlled monologue," alleging that the event is being staged with handpicked attendees to ensure only those conforming to a specific ideology participate.
Addressing the media, Fadnavis claimed that the interaction lacks the transparency of a genuine dialogue with the student community at large.
"I believe engaging with youth is welcome. However, it would have been truly meaningful had he interacted with the student community openly and across the board. According to the information available, educational institutions run by Congress leaders have been instructed to register only their own female students and bring them to the event. Only registered students are granted entry," Fadnavis said.
"This event is being conducted in a completely controlled environment to ensure only those conforming to their ideology participate. Therefore, while it is labelled 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students), it is essentially a monologue conducted with handpicked attendees invited through Congress channels," he added.
Fadnavis also launched a blistering attack on the Congress party over a recent resolution to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at their events, describing the move as "anti-constitutional."
"Look, this is an anti-constitutional decision. India is no longer ruled by the British. In independent India, decisions enacted by Parliament are constitutional mandates. To state that 'we will not accept the decision made by the Parliament of independent India' only perpetuates the legacy of slavery. We have always maintained that they suffer from a slave mentality," the BJP leader remarked.
Fadnavis further stated that the Congress's stance is an insult to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"Under our Constitution, adhering to the law passed by Parliament is synonymous with following the Constitution. For Congress to say that they will not abide by the decision passed by both Houses of Parliament is a betrayal of the Constitution and a betrayal of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision. It proves that they still retain the mentality of British colonial slavery. This is nothing but blatant vote-bank appeasement and stands as a direct insult to the core ethos of our nation," Fadnavis asserted.
Meanwhile, the Pune City Police on Thursday granted conditional permission for Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's nationwide student outreach initiative, "Chhatron Ki Goonj," scheduled for August 22 at the SSPMS College Ground.
Aimed at addressing issue-based concerns such as paper leaks, exam irregularities, and rising education fees, the upcoming event, specifically focused on providing a platform for young women, is expected to draw a crowd of 8,000 to 10,000 attendees between 4:30 PM and 9:30 PM.