Mumbai: They came carrying more than placards and flags, but with hope and faith writ on their faces. Thousands of young women from Pune city, the district and adjoining regions converged on Saturday evening to hear Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at the fourth edition of his Chhatron Ki Goonj – and a maiden one dedicated exclusively to girls. The mood was palpable even before Rahul Gandhi reached the AISSMS College ground. Groups of girls arrived with friends, mothers, sisters and aunts; some travelled together, while others came alone but said they had their families’ support. At the airport, a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi in a smart electric-blue T-shirt and cream trousers triggered waves of excitement in the young gathering. Near the venue, a group of girls went a step further, creating a large, multicoloured rangoli as a gesture of welcome. “He has come to Pune and organised this programme specially around the safety, security, jobs and future of young women. We can do at least this much for him,” one of the girls making the rangoli said with a smile. Along with the excitement, there was anxiety and doubts which they boldly or shyly expressed. “We were shocked by the assault on students at Jantar Mantar in July. We also have young children and are very concerned about their safety and future. We want to know first-hand from Rahul Gandhi what he will do when his party comes to government,” said a woman who had accompanied her daughter. The concerns voiced by the girls themselves were strikingly practical - jobs, education, examination leaks, mounting fees/study loans and an increasingly bleak future, despite official claims. One young woman, a computer-engineering graduate, spoke of the frustration and failure to find suitable employment. “I am highly educated in computer engineering. But for 10 years, I haven't had a stable job. It is very demoralising,” she said. Another pointed to the financial burden of higher education that is crushing many middle-class and lower-middle-class families. “Even for regular engineering courses, we are forced to take loans of Rs 15 lakh or more. After graduating, there are no jobs. So how do we repay the bank credit?” she asked glumly. One girl lamented how problems plague the youth even from education and employment. “Repeated question paper ‘leaks’ have undermined faith in competitive examinations and left students uncertain about both admissions and careers. She wanted Rahul Gandhi to spell out concrete measures to restore credibility to the examination system - particularly for students who spend years preparing for competitive exams. A young woman from Satara described the bitterness as a chain reaction: ‘exam paper leaks, difficulty securing admission to preferred colleges and courses, shrinking job market and even after getting jobs, uncertainties owing to ‘hire-and-fire’ practices in the corporate sector. “We are very optimistic that Rahul Gandhi, who is also educated and experienced, will understand our sentiments and take necessary steps to resolve our challenges,” she said. A majority of the girls had similar apprehensions: exams sans credibility, degree without jobs, an education system beyond dreams and affordability of the masses, and a cloudy future that suppressed their ambitions – with fervent hopes that Rahul Gandhi could be the New Messiah. Youth Congress workers booked over clash with ABVP Pune police on Saturday registered a case against 50 to 60 Youth Congress workers following a violent clash with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at a university hostel campus ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Chhatron Ki Goonj event in the city. Police were deployed in large numbers at the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) hostel campus following a clash between members of the ABVP and the National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Friday. Based on a complaint lodged by an ABVP member, a first information report was registered against 50 to 60 Youth Congress workers under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing simple physical hurt), 189(1) (unlawful assembly), 351(1) (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Police Act, an official said. The complainant has alleged that Congress workers were forcing female students of the institute to register for the Chhatron ki Goonj event and pressuring one of them to record a video statement. ABVP members visited the hostel to inquire into the matter when Congress workers allegedly verbally abused and assaulted them, the complaint stated. Earlier, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who visited the hostel after the incident, claimed that ABVP workers were threatening the two female students. 'Paise Ki Goonj': BJP claims Cong paid influencers to draw crowds The BJP on Saturday dubbed Rahul Gandhi's student event in Pune as "Paise Ki Goonj", alleging that the Congress had paid social media influencers to mobilise crowds, triggering a fiery response from the Opposition, which claimed the saffron party feared the growing Gen Z support. While BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that the Congress had spent nearly Rs 10 crore to buy attendance by paying up to Rs 35,000 per influencer for the "Chhatron Ki Goonj" programme, Opposition leader Sachin Sawant retorted that BJP leaders were terrified of Gandhi's growing influence among youngsters. Gandhi is slated to hold a "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event specifically dedicated to female students in Pune on Saturday. Ban alleged that the Congress was trying to create an impression of a spontaneous public response to Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme by paying people to attend it and promote it on social media. He claimed videos had surfaced showing offers of Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 to social media influencers to promote the Pune event, covering their travel expenses and promoting the programme online. "The programme is not 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' but 'Paise Ki Goonj'. The Congress is gathering crowds with money," Ban alleged. He claimed that if around 3,000 people were paid Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 each, the total expenditure could work out to between Rs 9 crore and Rs 10 crore. "Where has this money come from? Who is providing it and through whom is it being distributed? What is the official account of this money?" he questioned. The BJP spokesperson demanded a detailed investigation into the source of the funds and questioned whether they had any link to foreign funding or money allegedly diverted through contracts, commissions or other financial transactions in Congress-ruled states. He also sought an inquiry into the organisations and individuals allegedly involved in distributing the money. Hitting back at the BJP, State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the ruling party was "rattled" by the growing response Gandhi was receiving from the youth, particularly Gen Z. He accused the saffron party of trying to create obstacles for the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Pune. Sawant said BJP leaders appeared to be as apprehensive of Gandhi as Mughal forces were of Maratha warriors Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav. "The BJP has become so rattled by Rahul Gandhi that its leaders perhaps see him in their dreams, just as Santaji and Dhanaji appeared in the dreams of Mughal forces," Sawant said in a statement. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Mahesh Tapase accused the ABVP of creating hurdles for students participating in the Pune event, and accused the BJP of displaying "intellectual bankruptcy" by questioning the programme. Tapase said the country functions through dialogue and there was no reason for the BJP to be apprehensive about a programme aimed at raising issues concerning students and youth. "If Rahul Gandhi is holding the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme to raise his voice against injustice being done to youth and students, why is the BJP afraid of it?" he remarked. "The more students are harassed, the stronger their resistance will become. There was also an attempt to send some people into the programme to disrupt it.” - Rohit Pawar, Leader, NCP (SP)
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