All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday made an unexpected visit to Kochi, much to the embarrassment of the officials and the security personnel at the Cochin airport.
Landing here at 3.50 p.m. by a Jetlite flight from Delhi, he emerged out of the airport in a car through an exit near the domestic cargo terminal (gate number four), also accompanied by a huge convoy of security vehicles.
Airport sources said Rahul proceeded straight to Alappuzha for attending a wedding function and added that he was scheduled to depart from here later in the evening.
The visit was so confidential that even the airport security officials could confirm his arrival only a few minutes before the flight’s landing, though some of them had earlier hinted at the possible arrival of an unnamed V.V.I.P. Further, no senior leaders of the Congress party in the State were present at the airport to receive the party general secretary.
Prior to his arrival, a contingent of the Special Protection Group had reached the airport to oversee the security arrangements put in place.
