Congress cancels rally against price rise

Congress cancels rally in Raichur as India retaliates against Pakistan; officials discuss civil defence strategies and security measures.

As news of Operation Sindoor, India’s armed response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, emerged on Wednesday, the Congress cancelled its divisional-level rally scheduled in Raichur for the day.

The rally, which was intended to criticise the BJP-led Union government over the spiralling prices of essential commodities and efforts to undermine the Constitution, was expected to draw public attention.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with several Cabinet colleagues, including Priyank Kharge, Sharan Prakash Patil, N.S. Boseraju, Eshwar Khandre, Shivaraj Tangadagi and Rahim Khan, were scheduled to address the gathering.

However, the event was called off soon after reports of India’s retaliatory strike on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours on Wednesday came.

In the light of the escalating geopolitical situation, the civil defence mock drill planned by the district administration at Shakti Nagar near Raichur was also cancelled.

However, a similar drill was conducted by the South Central Railway at Raichur Railway Station earlier in the day.

Following the rally’s cancellation, Medical Education Minister and Raichur district in-charge Sharan Prakash Patil convened an emergency meeting at the district administrative complex. He was joined by Minor Irrigation Minister N.S. Boseraju, Lok Sabha member from Raichur G. Kumar Naik and senior district officials.