Rahul cancels Niyamgiri meeting, will meet students on Odisha tour

Congress sources say earlier plan to meet tribals dropped due to security issues

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leaders, who were until February 5 busy organising six meetings of Rahul Gandhi across Odisha including one near Niyamgiri hills, are now engaged in arranging a roadshow and a meeting with students of a local University during his two-day visit to the state staring February 9.

As per earlier plans, the Congress Vice President would have addressed meetings at Salipur in Cuttack district, Duburi in Jajpur district, coal town of Talcher, Khariar Road in Nuapada district, Bisam Katak (near Niyamgiri) in Rayagada district and Berhampur town in Ganjam district.

The new plan says Gandhi will now travel by road to Bhatapada village on Cuttack's outskirts to address a public meeting on Fenruary 9 .He will hold road shows before returning to Bhubaneswar. In Bhubaneswar, he will interact with party leaders, students and members from minority groups on Monday.

Congress sources said the earlier plan was dropped due to security arrangement issues at southern and western part of the state. Party leaders said the meetings at the Congress stronghold areas will be held later.

“This is regular meeting of Rahul Gandhiji with the students and common public. The other meetings will be taking place later,” said Jayadev Jena, PCC president.

Sources said however, the party does not want to project the young leader as the one who opposes development.

Three and a half years ago, during a meeting at Niyamgiri hill area, Gandhi had said that he is a sepoy of the Dongria tribes in New Delhi and he would do all in his power to stop mining proposal by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) for supply of bauxite to Vedanta alumina refinery.

The Union MInistry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) recently scrapped mining proposal of OMC at Niyamgiri citing a referendum against mining, which was conducted as per Supreme Court order in August last year.

While Congress has termed the decision as victory of tribals, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said the decision of the Centre shows its intention to deny industrialisation in a poor state like Odisha.

Moreover, the party fears,  had Rahul Gandhi visited Niyamgiri to take credit for his efforts of cancellation of mining proposal at Niyamgiri, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would have used the opportunity to term Congress as an anti-development party during his visit to Odisha , just a day after Rahul’s visit on February 11.

Sources said Gandhi does not want to be seen as an anti-development leader during his first trip to Odisha this year and would like to stick to his youth icon image.