Consider the following statements about the early phase of the National Movement in India: 1. Ferozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji and others formed the Bombay Presidency Association. 2. Surendranath Banerjee and his group planned an Indian National Conference at Calcutta. 3. Allan Octavian Hume decided to create an all-India body as a rival to the above organisations to give vent to the grievances of the poor and marginalised Indians. How many of the above statements is/are correct?

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Bombay Presidency Association was founded in 1885 by Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, and K.T. Telang to articulate political grievances. Surendranath Banerjee, along with Anandmohan Bose, organized the Indian National Conference in Calcutta in 1883 and 1885 as a precursor to a national political platform. Statement 3 is incorrect: A.O. Hume did not create the Indian National Congress as a rival to these organisations or to focus on grievances of the poor and marginalised; rather, he sought to bring educated Indians together as a safety valve and to channel political dissent through constitutional means. In fact, the Indian National Conference merged with the INC in 1886.