On the dawn of November 1, all roads in Uttar Pradesh would lead to Farukkabad, the constituency of Law Minister Salman Khurshid. Preparations are in progress for the last one week, with activists of India Against Corruption mobilising masses in at least 20 districts around the constituency.
However, the search for a venue for the rally by India Against Corruption has met with failure so far.
"We would all sit on the streets and carry out our rally if we get no venue for the rally," said an IAC activist from Lucknow.
The rally is being organised to "expose Salman Khurshid before his voters" and is expected to be a continuation of the expose-cum-protests that IAC had held in Delhi this month against Khurshid. They had launched a protest against Khurshid, accusing him of diverting Government grants given to his NGO Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust in 2009-10.
The five day long protests demanding Khurshid's resignation were suspended this month after Arvind Kejriwal announced that it would be revived again on November 1 in the MP's own constituency where voters would be told about the "truth" about Khurshid.
IAC's protest plan is, however, meeting with obstacles in Farukkabad as it has failed to get approvals for any venue so far.
We were trying for different venues but when we did not get any of them, we opted for the ground which belongs to the Housing and Development Corporation. But we are not meeting with any success here either, said an activist, who is organising the rally.
"We will tell the people that the MP you elected has let you down. He has not spared even the handicapped among you. The money he got to assist them never went to them. There are appliances given to dead people. There is a lame person who got hearing aids. We will expose the MP before his voters and ask them not to vote for him again," said IAC activists from Lucknow.
The administration is on alert as large crowds are expected to flow into Farukkabad, and they dont want to be party to it as they are allies of the Congress-led UPA Government at the centre, the activist said.
About 30-50 buses and other four wheelers are expected to proceed with supporters from 20 districts besides Delhi to Farukkabad, activists said.
Arvind Kejriwal, who is to lead the rally, would be accompanied by Prashant Bhushan ,Yogendra Yadav, Gopal Rai who would proceed to Farukkabad from Lucknow.
Salman Khurshid has stood his ground saying that there was no diversion of funds and that camps to help handicapped were held with the funds.
He had dared Kejriwal and his supporters to come to Farukkabad and return back home. Kejriwal had responded saying that Khurshid could not do him any harm as his life was in God's hands.
