Raipur: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh from July 28, during which he will attend a number of programmes in Bastar district.
Speaking to reporters here today, P L Punia, AICC in-charge for Chhattisgarh, said Gandhi will arrive at Jagdalpur district headquarters on Friday.
“He will hold separate meetings with the heads of Congress’ frontal organisations, representatives of NGOs working in Bastar and victims of the naxal violence there on the first day of the tour,” Punia said.
Besides that, Gandhi will also chair a meeting of the party’s senior leaders and office-bearers, he added.
According to Punia, on the second day of his visit, Gandhi will attend a training workshop of Congress and later address a rally scheduled to be held to protest the proposed disinvestment of the NMDC’s (National Mineral Development Corporation) steel plant coming up in Nagarnar area of Bastar.
Meanwhile, the Congress leader attacked Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agarwal over the allegation of purchase of forest land by him in the name of his wife in Mahasamund district and demanded his dismissal.
“A criminal offence should be registered against Agrawal and the minister should be sacked,” he said.
“He (Agarwal) can influence the local probe agencies.
Hence, any national agencies should be roped in for carrying out the investigation into the matter,” he added.
A controversy has erupted over the sale of a forest land near a Buddhist site in Mahasamund district to the wife of Minister Agrawal in 2009 which is now used for constructing a resort.
However, Agrawal has dismissed any wrongdoing, saying the land was purchased from a farmer and everything was done as per rules.
Punia also slammed the ruling BJP over the “increasing” suicides of debt-ridden farmers in the state.
–PTI