Celebrating 100 years of Russian Revolution, Palamu unit of Communist Party of India (CPI) invited youth leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mewani who addressed the gathering that braved rain and cold to hear them.
While Dalit lawyer and activist Jignesh Mewani raised the incidence of atrocities against dalits in Gujarat in his speech, student leader from JNU Kanhaiya Kumar said that Hardik Patel was targeted by the BJP as they have no issues to talk about. He said, "The BJP is using a CD in this election in Gujarat. This BJP has no other issue to go to voters. I will not go into the merit of this CD since I too was a victim of the JNU CD. I know how these CDs are manufactured."
Speaking first, Jignesh said he had a bad throat, but once he got into momentum his voice became more and more louder whereas Kanhaiya was more humorous in his speech. However, they both attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Man ki Baat.
Jignesh said that about 16 years ago there were 26 lakh people under BPL in Gujarat and now their number has swollen to 40 lakh, a fact conceded by Prime Minister Modi in his 'Man Ki Baat'. The two leaders spoke about seething anger and frustrations in Gujarat. They talked about Surat traders, demonetisation and atrocities on adivasis and dalits.
Interestingly, the CPI had apprehensions that these two would be facing resistance from BJP here. However when contacted before the event, state secretary of BJP Manoj Kumar Singh said, "We do not bother who are coming to this programme of CPI here. We do not care a fig what they will say here. I reiterate we have no time for them. It is all useless talks that we are to take any note of their speeches here."