Uttarakhand: Overnight Uproar in Dehradun Over Rahul Gandhi’s Parade Ground Rally

Dehradun. Amidst the political turmoil surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Echoes of Students’ (Chhatron ki Goonj) event scheduled for July 17, the Congress party has decided to change the venue. After permission for the Parade Ground was cancelled, the event will now be held at the Bannu School grounds. Congress states that this decision was made by prioritizing the safety of students and parents.

Despite the District Magistrate denying permission for the event at the Parade Ground, a crowd of Congress leaders and workers took to the streets late Tuesday night. Amidst heavy police deployment, Congress workers reached the main gate of the ground while raising slogans. They attempted to get the gate opened, leading to heated arguments between police officials and the workers. Subsequently, Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at the ground and raised slogans against the state government.

Permission Cancelled Under Government Pressure
During the sit-in at the Parade Ground, Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal leveled serious allegations against the state government. He stated that Congress had initially been granted permission for three days, but it was later revoked under pressure from the government.

Government is Rattled
Godiyal claimed that there was actually no activity taking place at the site that had been blocked off citing a government program. He noted that they had deposited ₹1.77 lakh—far exceeding the prescribed fee of ₹65,000—for the ground. Despite this, the permission was withdrawn. According to him, this decision was made under political pressure, and the government is rattled by Rahul Gandhi’s event.

Congress Backs Down from Parade Ground
Following the political standoff and the high-voltage drama that continued late into the night, Congress has finally backed down from the Parade Ground venue. Congress State President Ganesh Godiyal clarified that while the party was fully prepared to hold the event at the Parade Ground, the decision to change the venue was made to prioritize the safety of students and parents. The party wants every student attending the event to participate in a completely safe environment and return home safely.

*Event to be held at Bannu School grounds now*
The Congress has clearly announced that Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) event will take place on the originally scheduled date of July 17. However, instead of the Parade Ground, it will now be held at the Bannu School grounds in Dehradun. Currently, a heavy police force is deployed in the area to maintain law and order, and police officials are in talks with Congress leaders. With this change of venue, the political dispute regarding the location appears to have been resolved for now.