Congress to hold ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Bengaluru, SSA Abhiyan to be held in Karnataka: Surjewala

NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party is planning to hold its ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) programme in Bengaluru, adding that the date for the event has not yet been finalised.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Thursday, Surjewala said the Congress is conducting the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme across the country and the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan (SSA) will also be held in Karnataka. He said observers have been appointed for the SSA, while the process of appointing observers for the Pradesh Congress Committee is under way.

Surjewala also alleged that the Union BJP government had subjected Karnataka to “deliberate and systematic discrimination” by withholding the state’s GST funds and failing to fulfil promises of budgetary support for various Central government schemes, including the alleged non-release of funds announced in the Union Budget.

On the Karnataka Cabinet expansion, the Congress leader said the Cabinet has to be expanded, and discussions on the issue are under way.

#WATCH | Delhi | Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala says, “…The ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, which we are conducting across the country. We are also planning to hold one in Bengaluru, although the date has not yet been decided. The ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan’,… https://t.co/I0tGtWqDaF pic.twitter.com/LrZYkoF5Du

— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2026

Meanwhile, preparations were also under way at Dehradun’s Bannu School, the proposed venue for Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, scheduled to be held on July 17. The event is expected to witness participation from students, with arrangements being made at the venue ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned the Uttarakhand government’s action over alleged paper leaks in the 2025 Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) recruitment examinations, claiming that the state’s anti-cheating law remained ineffective and “merely on paper” while examination papers continued to be sold.

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that Uttarakhand, popularly known as ‘Devbhoomi’, had become the “epicentre of paper leaks” and questioned the state government’s handling of the issue. “I am coming to Dehradun on July 17th. But why Uttarakhand? Because ‘Devbhoomi’ has been turned into the epicentre of paper leaks”, he wrote. (ANI)