After calling off its stir at district headquarters to protest police action against party workers during and before ‘Nyay Yatra’ in Shajahanpur on Monday, the Congress brass rejigged their programme of ‘Akrosh Rally’ on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Wednesday.

The Congress leaders have now decided to take out a ‘Shanti Padyatra’ (peace march) to avert a clash with the police. Interestingly, the Lucknow administration also gave a green signal to the Congress plan. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will lead party workers and leaders from Saheed Smarak to GPO Park, marching through Parivartan Chowk and Hazratganj. The march will begin at 11am on Wednesday and culminate into a meeting at GPO Park.

Congress sources said Priyanka might stay in Lucknow overnight to interact with party leaders in a bid to thrash out a strategy for Thursday. Dubbing the foot march on Wednesday a show of strength, the leaders in UP Congress said that massive preparations were underway to ensure its success. 

Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu said: “Priyanka will lead the padyatra, which will witness the participation of party workers and leaders from all over the state.”

“It will be a show of strength by the Congress after arrests and house arrests of its senior leaders by the state government to foil the Shahjahanpur-Lucknow ‘Nyay March’,” the sources said. 

Earlier on Monday, the district administration invoked prohibitory orders and made arrests to foil the 180-km Shahjahanpur- Lucknow yatra planned by the Congress in support of the law student, who was jailed for alleged extortion from rape accused BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand. 

Later, the Congress had given a call for statewide protests but on Monday night, the protests were called off and ‘Shanti Yatra’ was planned on Gandhi Jayanti.