BJP, INC spar over Jhooth Ki Goonj Indore posters

Indore: Posters bearing the phrase "Jhooth Ki Goonj" emerged throughout the city ahead of a scheduled meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, igniting a clash between the governing BJP and the opposition party. The Congress claimed the posters were a move by the BJP to obstruct Gandhi's "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event, while the BJP attributed the campaign to students protesting the forced attendance at the event.

The Madhya Pradesh police issued a security directive, stating that organizers of the "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event would share responsibility for crowd control and entry-exit points with law enforcement, following the Verma Commission report on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Chintu Chouksey, president of the Congress's city unit, accused the BJP of constantly lying, asserting the posters were placed across the city by the ruling party to obstruct the event's organization.

The BJP's state co-media in-charge, Alok Dubey, dismissed the Congress's allegations, saying students and youngsters in the city were pressured to attend Gandhi's meeting, leading to the students launching the "Jhooth Ki Goonj" campaign. He claimed the posters reflect the students' feelings and carry a clear message that Gandhi lies.

The Congress had initially sought permission to hold the program at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 12, but was denied due to a Madhya Pradesh High Court order restricting the stadium's use to sports or government events. The opposition party then postponed the program to September 19 and leased around 12,000 square meters of land near Regional Park for three days.