Rahul Gandhi, with a pink towel wrapped around his neck, sat down for a trim at a barber's shop in Delhi. The Leader of Opposition used the time, and opportunity, to ask the west Delhi barber about his dreams and ambitions and how have they fared over time.
Dressed in his trademark white T-shirt, Mr Gandhi visited the 'Classic Hair Salon' in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area and spoke to Ajit, the barber. He also shared a video of the visit on X.
While talking to the barber, Mr Gandhi says, "What will one save from Rs 15,000, nothing." "What is your house rent," Mr Gandhi asks.
"It is Rs 2,500. I get a pension of Rs 2,500 and it goes into rent," Ajit replies. He later tells Mr Gandhi that his wife is a heart patient.
As Ajit's hands quiver while trimming Mr Gandhi's beard with an electric trimmer, the latter holds his hand and says "You're taking too much tension," to which he gets a "What do I do, sir?" reply.
"I earn Rs 14,000-15,000 in a month, my house and shop are on rent," Ajit tells Mr Gandhi.
When asked about what he thought when he started, Ajit tells Mr Gandhi, "I thought our future will be bright, I will work hard but we're still here". "We were very happy under your rule. There was peace during Congress' rule," he adds.
Ajit later reveals in the video that he is physically challenged. "People like us are unable to progress, we'll remain stuck here. Our children's future is in jeopardy," he says.
Praising Mr Gandhi for visiting him, he says, "At least there is someone to support us poor people, otherwise who looks out for other people in this world? I am very happy to meet Rahul ji." He later shares a hug with Mr Gandhi as his eyes tear up.
Sharing the video on X, Mr Gandhi said, ""There is nothing left!" These four words of Ajit Bhai and his tears are telling the story of every hard-working poor and middle class person of India today."
"कुछ नहीं बचता है!"
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 25, 2024
अजीत भाई के ये चार शब्द और उनके आसूं आज भारत के हर मेहनतकश गरीब और मध्यमवर्गीय की कहानी बयां कर रहे हैं।
नाई से लेकर मोची, कुम्हार से लेकर बढ़ई - घटती आमदनी और बढ़ती महंगाई ने हाथ से काम करने वालों से अपनी दुकान, अपना मकान और स्वाभिमान तक के अरमान छीन लिए… pic.twitter.com/1gYGdui2ll
"From barbers to cobblers, potters to carpenters-declining incomes and rising inflation have stripped these hardworking individuals of their dreams of owning a shop, a home, and even their self-respect. Today, there is a need for modern solutions and new schemes that can bring back growth in income and savings at home. And, a society where skills are rightfully valued, and every step of hard work leads you up the ladder of progress," he wrote in the caption.
This was not Mr Gandhi's first barber visit. Earlier, while campaigning for Lok Sabha polls, Mr Gandhi visited a barber shop in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli In May. The barber shop, run by Mithun, saw a jump in the number of visitors after Mr Gandhi's visit.
चुनाव की तैयारी पूरी है, लेकिन हेयर कटिंग भी जरूरी है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 13, 2024
हम ऐसे ही हुनरमंद नौजवानों के हक के लिए लड़ रहे हैं, देश के विकास में इनकी हिस्सेदारी मांग रहे हैं।
📍 रायबरेली, उत्तर प्रदेश pic.twitter.com/iTfEzkDGsh
Mr Gandhi also sent a gift to Mithun in UP after almost three months of visiting his shop. "After more than three months, a vehicle stopped near my shop. Two people unloaded two chairs, a shampoo chair, inverter set, etc. from that vehicle and handed them over," Mithun said. He was told that these were sent by Mr Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi often meets people from different walks of life to understand their struggles. He has earlier met a cobbler, construction workers, mechanics, truck drivers among other people.
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