A day after he criticised Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s “symbolic” visit to a Dalit woman’s house in Amethi in 2008, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas raised eyebrows, going to the same dwelling on Monday.
For, while addressing a rally in Amethi on Sunday, Mr. Vishwas claimed that he was “not the person to visit a Dalit’s house” and engage in “melodrama.”
Defending his visit, he said he felt compelled to visit the woman, Sunita, since he happened to be in the vicinity of her village. “I was told by party workers that Mr. Gandhi spent a night in a house here in 2008 and had food there. I wanted to see the changes since then. But there doesn’t seem to be any difference,” he said.
Sunita, whose hut has no roof, claimed that her home was set on fire by local criminals, allegedly bearing allegiance to the ruling Samjawadi Party, but Mr. Gandhi ignored her pleas for rehabilitation. Mr. Vishwas assured her help.
Gimmick: CongressThe Congress, however, dismissed Mr. Vishwas’ visit as a “gimmick.”
“He couldn’t find any other Dalit? The AAP is trying to establish its identity by raising issues already highlighted by Mr. Gandhi,” said party spokesperson Dwijendra Tripathi.
