NEW DELHI: The Congress was in an upbeat mood after the Uttar Pradesh government allowed party vice president Rahul Gandhi to visit his parliamentary constituency Amethi from October 4 to 6, just a day after asking the lawmaker to defer the trip.
The issue has assumed political overtones as BJP chief Amit Shah, along with a battery of cabinet ministers and senior party leaders, is scheduled to visit Amethi on October 10. Congress sources said Shah’s visit has been planned as a counter to Rahul’s September 25-27 campaign in poll-bound Gujarat which rattled the saffron party.
“Amit Shah can go to any part of the country at any time of the year without the district magistrate’s permission but Rahul Gandhi can’t go. They have accepted their mistake after we raised the issue,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
Constituency visits was a normal activity for any lawmaker, the Congress said.
“Why can’t an MP go to his constituency during festivals? The constituency is his home. Can’t he go and meet his family members? Will he need permission from PM Modi or CM Yogi,” asked Singhvi.
The controversy arose after Amethi district magistrate Yogesh Kumar in his letter dated September 30 asked the local Congress chief that Rahul should defer his scheduled visit as most of the police force would be deployed to maintain law and order in view of the Durga Puja, Dusshera and Moharram festivals till October 5 and this may cause inconvenience to the lawmaker. However, the state government retracted on the issue after the Congress made a hue and cry and said that Rahul would not defer his visit.
DM Yogesh Kumar wrote a fresh letter to the Amethi Congress chief dated October 1, denying allegations and media reports that the administration had tried to stop Rahul from visiting his constituency. Instead, the letter said, the member of parliament was apprised of the inconvenience being faced in maintaining law and order and providing him safety and security during the visit.
According to the DM’s letter, Rahul’s programmes were mainly in the Kathora, Musafirkhana and Tiloi Khas areas and the sub-divisional magistrate Musafirkhana and circle officer Musafirkhana had been deployed at Isauli ghat where immersion of hundreds of Durga idols would take place on October 4 and 5.
UP Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh slammed the Yogi government over the flip flop. “Better sense prevailed with the UP government. They have clarified their mistake,” he added.