Rahul meets rickshawpullers, promises aid

Policies and manifesto of the Congress will not be framed according to the wishes of the politicians but of the poor and needy people’s requirements, said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi while interacting with rickshaw pullers at a ‘chaupal’ in Varanasi’s cantonment railway station on Saturday.

During the session when some of the rickshaw pullers complained about benefits of Centre’s schemes not reaching them, Gandhi took a pot shot at UP and Bihar governments. “Only UP and Bihar governments are facing difficulties in implementing policies of the Centre,” he said. Further attacking the UP government, Rahul said: “In UP roads are constructed to make contractors and politicians rich.”

He also discussed about MNREGA, food security bill and national health insurance plan of the union government. “I am here to get to know that whether the benefits of such schemes launched by the Centre are reaching you,” Rahul said.

Gandhi answered a number of questions during his interaction but a rickshaw-puller Subhash Pandey’s question stumped him. “Desh gauravshali, desh vaibhavshali, mai garib kyon (The country is prosperous, then why am I poor?)” Pandey had asked.

After the interaction, Gandhi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

During his over 30-minute stay there, he worshiped for around 15 minutes and spent the rest of the time in asking the priests various questions about Lord Shiva and the temple.

He was accompanied by senior party leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Nirmal Khatri, AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, and Rajesh Pati Tripathi.