Panaji: Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s public rally in Goa on Saturday will be her first ever since her surgery in August, a senior Congress leader said here Friday.
The party has planned a massive rally at the Campal parade ground here, where Gandhi will address a crowd of 50,000 people.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Subhash Shirodkar said this is for the first time she would be moving out of Delhi, after she underwent surgery for an
ailment in August and returned to the capital in September.
"This is her first ever public rally too," he said.
The event is being held in the run up for the Golden Jubilee celebration of Goa’s liberation from Portuguese rule. The state was liberated after Indian Army’s Operation Vijay on December 19, 1961.
Gandhi, who was supposed to make her first public speech after recovery, in Uttarakhand on November 11, could not make it owing to health issues.
"This is auspicious occasion for us. First because we are celebrating the Golden Jubilee and second because Gandhi will be down to address the crowd," Shirodkar said.
Gandhi, he said, will take stock of last 50 years of Goa liberation and also will speak on the roadmap for the state for next 25 years.
Two other central ministers Union Defence Minister AK Anthony and Union minister for Corporate Affairs Virappa Moily -- will also be in Goa to participate in the functions.
The state government has organised several functions back to back events tomorrow which includes laying of foundation stone for Vijay Smarak (Victory Memorial) at Aguada plateau, 10 kms away from here.
Meanwhile, her visit has already started attracting controversies. Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a forum propagating Indian languages in elementary education, has said that they will be showing black flags to Gandhi.
PTI
First Published: Friday, December 16, 2011, 12:34