Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged party workers to strengthen the organisation and begin preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Party workers met Gandhi at his parliamentary residence in Bhuemau and apprised him of various issues, particularly those concerning Dalits.
Sunil Kumar Gautam, president of the Congress Scheduled Caste wing in Rae Bareli, said a 12-member delegation from the community met Gandhi at his Bhuemau residence.
"We discussed issues concerning the Scheduled Caste community and informed him about the difficulties faced since the BJP government came to power in the state. A major concern is that sanitation workers from the Valmiki community, employed in municipal bodies, are still forced to work without protective gear, which is a violation of Supreme Court directives," Gautam told PTI Videos.
He added that Gandhi motivated them and emphasised the need to prepare vigorously for the 2027 elections while strengthening the party organisation.
Congress's Rae Bareli committee vice-president Sarvottam Kumar Mishra praised Gandhi's leadership, and said his "honesty, vision, and work ethic were beyond description".
After the meeting, Mishra told PTI Videos that Gandhi carefully listened to party workers and the general public and stressed the need for solutions to their concerns.
The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha commenced his two-day visit to Rae Bareli on Thursday.
On the second day of his visit, Gandhi paid tribute to Veera Pasi, a hero of the 1857 revolution, and BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, by garlanding their statues in Narpatganj.
Later in the afternoon, he participated in a 'Yuva Samvad" in Lalganj where he interacted with youths, highlighting the issue of unemployment and slamming the government for it. He then visited the Modern Rail Coach Factory plant in Lalganj where he stressed that "railways is the lifeline of India and the government should prioritise making it safe and comfortable for passengers".
Gandhi held discussions with the factory's general manager Prashant Kumar Mishra and other senior officials regarding coach manufacturing.
Chief Public Relations Officer RN Tiwari said, "The MRCF administration provided detailed insights into the production process of various types of coaches, including Sleeper, AC3 Economy, Humsafar, Antyodaya, AC Pantry Car, Non-AC Chair Car, Tejas, Rajdhani, Bharat Gaurav, Mozambique, and Vande Bharat. This year, the production focus is on general and sleeper coaches, which constitute about 90 per cent of the total output." Gandhi described the Railways as the "backbone of the country" and inquired about indigenous technology, domestic manufacturing, and the role of both railway employees and contract workers in coach production." He acknowledged the transformation in the railway sector, stating, "Railways are a fundamental necessity, and revolutionary changes have taken place." Expressing satisfaction, he noted that while many sectors are primarily engaged in trading, MRCF is actively contributing to coach manufacturing.
Gandhi later left for Lucknow by road to further depart for Delhi.
Meanwhile, in some areas of Rae Bareli, posters opposing Gandhi and the Congress party surfaced during his visit. The posters accused Gandhi of insulting BSP chief Mayawati and the Dalit community.
The posters referenced a recent statement by Congress leader Udit Raj against Mayawati.
"Mr. Rahul Gandhi, your double standards are evident. On one hand, you visit Scheduled Caste hostels and memorials of Veera Pasi to pose as a benefactor of Dalits, while on the other hand, your party leaders openly declare their intention to strangle Dalit icon and four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Behan Kumari Mayawati," read one of the posters.
"This is an insult to the entire Dalit community. Apologise for this, or the Dalit society will ensure you learn a lesson," stated the message, attributed to the Bahujan Swabhiman Manch, Uttar Pradesh.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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