RAICHUR: On day three, it was politics over hot pakodas - mirchi bhajji - and chai. During his roadshow, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his entourage walked into a small roadside chai shop for some hot pakodas, puffed rice and tea. Top Congress leaders were seen discussing politics while relishing local delicacy, here on Monday. When Rahul was moving towards Devadurga after addressing a meeting, his bus stopped near one Maremma’s tea stall at Kalmala village near Raichur.
All Congress leaders, including Rahul, got off from the bus and moved into the stall, to the surprise of the security personnel. Sitting on benches in the stall, Rahul and other leaders relished mirchi bhajji and vaggarane - a dish made of puffed rice - with hot tea. Before having breakfast, Rahul spoke with Maremma and enquired about her family. Others who were enjoying the food with Rahul were Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal, D K Shivakumar and Veerappa Moily.
Craze for selfie
As the yatra entered the stronghold of Kharges, Rahul was welcomed with a rousing reception. Among those greeting Rahul were many school children. He reciprocated with shaking their hands. In Shahapur, when Rahul was busy greeting some more children, a man suddenly stepped onto the floorboard to take a selfie with the Congress chief. Surprisingly, Rahul did not mind a selfie and nor did any SPG personnel object. Many others too went for selfies with Rahul.
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for his statement that selling pakodas is also a part of employment generation. Union Minister for
Human Resources Development and BJP Karnataka poll in-charge Prakash Javadekar said, “Congress
has always thrived on middlemen culture and Congress leaders making fun of pakoda wallahs is an
insult to dignity of work,” Javadekar questioned as to why AICC president Rahul Gandhi has failed to
pull up Congress leaders like Chidambaram who have been making fun of Modi’s ‘Pakoda wallah’
statement. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s temple run in state, Javadekar criticised it as an election
gimmick. “Rahul is seen going to temples only in Gujarat and now in Karnataka because of polls.
People understand who is a real devotee and who is a poll-time devotee,” he said.