Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis alleges influencers were paid for Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune was not a genuine student gathering but a politically planned programme aimed at creating controversy and giving Gandhi a "re-launch". He further alleged that social media influencers were being paid ₹30,000 to attend or promote the event.

Fadnavis claimed that people were told about the programme as an event and were asked to attend it, after which they would be paid.

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"We have got to know that people were told that this is an event. They were asked to come, and then they would be paid," Fadnavis said. He added that influencers were being paid 30,000 rupees.

He added that the programme was managed as an event rather than being an organic student gathering. According to Fadnavis, instructions had been issued for only female students from Congress-affiliated colleges to attend the event.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister also alleged that those attending were being encouraged to highlight only the positive aspects of the programme while ignoring negative aspects. He questioned whether such a gathering could genuinely be described as a voice of students.

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Fadnavis further linked the Pune event to an incident at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) that took place a day earlier. He accused the Congress of creating a "ruckus" at the institute and alleged that students were beaten during the incident.

"Preceding this event, they organised another event yesterday. The way Congress created a ruckus at COEP, beat the students, this was a planned conspiracy," Fadnavis alleged.

Yesterday, tensions flared outside the hostel gate of COEP Technological University between ABVP workers and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members ahead of Rahul Gandhi's scheduled 'Chhatron ki Goonj' event in Pune. Outside the hostel gates, ABVP workers sloganeered against Rahul Gandhi on Friday and attempted to block the road in protest. Police were called to the spot and detained several of those involved in the clash.

Fadnavis further compared the alleged strategy to the way controversies are sometimes created around films to generate public interest and attract audiences.

"To make a movie hit, we have to create controversy. Similarly, they planned this controversy," he said.

The Chief Minister's remarks came in response to Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Pune, which was presented by Congress as an interaction with students. Fadnavis, however, questioned the authenticity of the gathering and said it did not represent the genuine voice of students.

Earlier, announcing the Pune programme, Rahul Gandhi had said that the event would provide an exclusive platform for girls to share their views, adding that their voices would be heard across the country." On August 22, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' is arriving in Pune--and this time's event will be exclusively for girls. Now the girls will speak, and the country will listen," he said.