It was only after seeing that Congress high Command took tough stand against Modi government at the centre and did not allow Parliament on the plea of taking action on the issue of corruption involving senior leaders of BJP, the state Congress got active. There was massive mobilization of Congress workers from all over the state to protest against atrocities on women, apathy of the government toward farmers, attack on media and large scale corruption during Akhilesh Yadav government. After continuous debacle of the party in the successive elections after UP Assembly in 2012 and Lok Sabha in 2014 and by-elections, there is realization that party would only gain if in future, the party fought against misrule of Samajwadi Party government.

Congress leadership has to win over the confidence of people only after confronting Samajwadi Party, BSP and BJP. Now as a strategy, UPCC president Nirmal Khattri and others have started attacking Samajwadi Party government. The party leaders were so enthused by the call given by the state organization that 80 plus Mrs Mohsina Kidwai also joined the protest march.

For the first time, Congress workers and leaders faced lathi-charge from the police and several important persons like UPCC President Nirmal Khattri and Raj Babbar MP. Former Union Minister Pradeep Aditya Jain were injured along with 500 workers who were taken to hospital. In order to mobilize party workers Congress leadership gave yet another call to observe Virodh Diwas on August 19 all over the state to protest the brutal lathi charge.

Senior party leader and spokesman Satyadeo Tripathi said that the brutal lathi charge on party workers was against freedom of expression and protest in democracy. With the result, Virodh Diwas observed by the party workers at district and tehsil headquarters where party workers submitted memorandum to officials against the brutal lathi charge and also included the local issues.

Enthused by the success of demonstration by the party workers all over the state, party spokesman Surendra Rajput said that party would continue to hit streets all over the state to focus misrule of Akhilesh Yadav government. There is feeling in local leaders that the manner in which AICC vice-president hit hard on RSS and other wings of the Sangh Parivar, the minorities would shift toward Congress.

Congress leaders also feel that the manner in which PM Narendra Modi openly supported Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav for not supporting Congress MPs protest in Parliament, could result in shift of Muslims for Congress in UP. Besides making inroads in Muslim community which appears to be disenchanted with Mulayam Singh Yadav, Congress is also making efforts to bring back dalits to party fold. Senior Harijan leaders from the party are now visiting dalit bastis all over the state to spread the message that only Congress could look after their interests. For the first time Congress appears to be in upbeat mood and it could gain in terms of vote bank if it continued to confront the government. (IPA Service)