Congress says Rahul's Mumbai rally cancelled over Omicron

The proposed rally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai, slated to be held on December 28, has been postponed by the local unit of the party, a senior leader said on Tuesday, adding that the looming threat of the Omicron variant of coronavirus was also taken into account by the party.

Speaking to reporters, Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap said the decision to defer the rally was taken after holding discussions with state officials and senior party leaders in New Delhi.

Jagtap said a new schedule will be announced after some days.

“Rahul Gandhi's rally is postponed but not cancelled. The threat of coronavirus pandemic and its new variant Omicron was also taken into consideration before arriving at this decision,” he said.

Maharashtra's tally of those infected with the Omicron strain of coronavirus stood at 28 as of Tuesday, including 12 cases so far in Mumbai, as per the health department.

Rahul Gandhi's now deferred rally is politically significant for Congress ahead of the elections to Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies, due early next year.

“Rahul Gandhi's rally will definitely happen in Mumbai. Once the situation improves further, we will take the call accordingly,” Jagtap said.

Notably, Jagtap had moved the Bombay high court seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government, in which Congress is one of the constituents, to grant permission for the rally at the Shivaji Park here on December 28 after the Mumbai civic body refused nod.

However, before his petition could be heard by a division bench, Jagtap on Tuesday withdrew his plea unconditionally.

The Congress leader's counsel did not specify the reason for the withdrawal.

In his plea, Jagtap had said an application was submitted to the state government in October, seeking permission to hold the rally where Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been invited to address a gathering. However, no decision has been taken on the application so far, the petition said.

Jagtap, in the petition, said the party had sought permission to use the Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai from December 22 to December 28 to hold a public meeting on the occasion of the 137th Foundation Day of the Indian National Congress.

The plea said December 28 is a very important day in history of the Congress as it is the party's foundation day.

The HC had in 2010 declared the Shivaji Park area located in Dadar as a silence zone after public interest litigation was filed by an NGO.