Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Kharge to address rally in Bhubaneswar today

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will address the ‘Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh’ in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Friday, 11 July, a party leader said.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said besides Gandhi and Kharge, the party's general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal will also be present at the programme.

"Rahul Gandhi will arrive at Bhubaneswar airport around 11:30 am and then travel to Baramunda Ground, where he will meet delegations of farmers and people displaced by various projects," Das told reporters.

After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and Venugopal will address the ‘Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh’, Das said.

"Usually, Rahul Gandhi addresses such mega public events in Odisha ahead of elections. However, this time, he is set to address a public meeting when no election is in the near future," he added.

ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନ କରୁଥିବା ଡ଼୍ରାଇଭର ମହାସଂଘ ର ସମସ୍ତ ଦାବିକୁ ଡ଼୍ରାଇଭରଙ୍କ ହିତରେ ଥିବା ସରକାର ଶୁଣି ଓ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକାରୀ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଆଲୋଚନା ହୋଇସାରିଥିବା ବେଳେ ପୁଣି ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନ ର ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା ନାହିଁ।

ଆସନ୍ତା ୧୧ ତାରିଖରେ ଥିବା କଂଗ୍ରେସ ରାଲିକୁ ସମର୍ଥନ ଦେଇ ଦିନକ ପାଇଁ ସ୍ତଗିତ ରଖିବା ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନ ରେ ରାଜନୀତି ଦେଖାଦେଇଛି।

ନିରୀହ, ସରଳ…

— Bibhuti Bhusan Jena (@BibhutiJena93) July 10, 2025

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The police issued a traffic advisory to commuters in view of the Congress rally in the city and expect heavy congestion on the stretch from Airport Square to Jaydev Vihar Square.

Meanwhile, a drivers' association, which has been holding a cease work demanding welfare measures for its members, announced that it would relax its protest in view of the Congress rally.

Drivers' Mahasangha president Prashant Menduli said the association members will not stop any vehicle going to Bhubaneswar to participate in Rahul Gandhi’s rally.

Expressing concern over the ongoing strike by drivers of buses, trucks, taxis, autorickshaws and other commercial vehicles in the state, Das alleged, "The state government has hatched a political conspiracy so that the cease work continues. Due to their conspiracy, the people of the state are facing difficulties as transportation of essential commodities has been affected."

Odisha’s commerce and transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, in a social media post, said that there is no need for protest by drivers as discussions have already been held to address all the demands of the association.

“Supporting the Congress rally, scheduled for the 11th July, and suspending the protest for a day shows that politics has crept into the movement. Do not mislead innocent drivers in the name of protests. I urge the driver brothers to refrain from the protest," Jena said on X.