Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses supporters during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, in Pratapgarh district, Monday. (PTI)
IN AMETHI, a former Congress bastion, local residents on Monday gathered outside houses and shops to catch a glimpse of party leader Rahul Gandhi. Roads in the district were laced with Congress flags, billboards with slogans like “Nyay Yoddha”, and cutouts featuring Rahul. While Smriti Irani may have won the seat in 2019 defeating Rahul by 55,000 votes, there was some excitement in the air as Rahul visited.
His fleet of around 50 cars arrived, with Rahul in a red SUV with an open roof, at 2:40 pm at Deori Bazaar from neighbouring Pratapgarh district. The yatra on Monday covered Amethi’s Kakwa Road, Sagra Tiraha, Raipur Phulawari, Gauriganj and then headed to Babuganj.
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“The goal is to stand up against the hatred being spread,” he said. “Lots of people came to us during our yatra, including farmers, labourers, small traders. They told us about unemployment, inflation, and complained about GST,” he said, talking about the first Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“I have come to Amethi and you have welcomed me with love. Our relationship is long-standing, one of love. I thank you all from the heart,” he said.
The Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, will stay overnight in Amethi’s Tendua area and then head to Raebareli.
Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express.
During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state.
During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.
Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor.
Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
