Army denying permission for Rahul Gandhi's Mhow meet under BJP pressure, says Congress

The Congress on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of pressurizing the army administration at Mhow to withhold permission for party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's public meeting in the town on June 2.

The Gandhi scion was slated to visit Mhow on Dr BR Ambedkar's birthday anniversary and meet farmers. He is also slated to undertake a yatra thereafter.

Chief organiser of MP Seva Dal, Yogesh Yadav, said a formal application had been submitted with the army administration for Rahul Gandhi's public meeting on June 2 at bungalow number 68 near the Dalit icon's birthplace.

He alleged that the army officials were not giving a nod to the public meeting under pressure from the BJP leaders though public rallies at the bungalow are not uncommon.

"MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has himself addressed three public meetings on the ground of the bungalow….so why can't Rahul?" he said.

Accusing the army administration of bias, Yadav said, "When late Rajiv Gandhi had come to Mhow in 1991, permission for his public meeting at Garrison Ground had been denied in a similar fashion under pressure from late Chandra Shekhar's government then." He said a complaint would be lodged in this regard with the President and Indian Army chief.