Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address a rally here on October 28 as part of Congress’ strategy to counter the Opposition offensive against on FDI in multi-brand retail and other reform measures of UPA government.
Rahul Gandhi will also address the rally at the Ramlila Ground, which will be attended by Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states, PCC chiefs and senior leaders from the organization and the government.
AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told a news agency that the rally will focus on the current situation in the country.
The decision to hold the rally was taken in Congress Working Committee meeting chaired by Gandhi last week, which had endorsed the government’s economic reform measures with the Congress president hitting out at BJP for its “negative” politics.
The Congress leadership will use the occasion to explain to the people the benefits of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and the rationale of other reform measures taken by UPA government “to bring the economy back on rails”.
At the rally, the Congress leadership is expected to touch on the subject of the current political situation in the country.
Addressing a gathering here, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said a number of rallies will be organised in the coming days to educate the people about benefits of the reform measures taken by the Centre.
“There are going to be rallies where the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi are going to explain the benefits of FDI in multibrand retail,” she said.
A senior Delhi Congress leader said the October 28 rally will be the first one on the issue to be addressed by Singh and Gandhi together.
Speaking at the gathering, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma accused BJP of trying to “mislead” people of the country on allowing 51 per cent FDI in multibrand retail and said the NDA government had readied a Cabinet note favouring 100 per cent FDI in the sector.
–PTI