Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday came under a shoe attack during his road show in Sitapur district but the shoe missed him narrowly. The Nehru-Gandhi scion saw the hand of the BJP-RSS behind the shoe attack.
Travelling atop an open-air vehicle as part of his Deoria to Delhi kisan mahayatra, Mr. Gandhi was busy folding the sleeves of his kurta when a shoe came hurtling towards him. The shoe missed him narrowly but hit another Congressman, who could not be identified. Former Union minister Jitin Prasada and SPG guards were near Mr. Gandhi at the time of the incident.
As his cavalcade progressed from the spot, Mr. Gandhi hinted at a political hand behind the attack. “I want to tell the BJP-RSS people, throw as many shoes on me as you want. I am not going to step back,” the Amethi MP said. “Your anger is your weakness. Even if you offer it to me I am not going to take it. I have forgotten about the shoe. You stick to your hate. I will continue believing in love and bhaichara (brotherhood),” he said.
The young man accused of hurling the shoe was whisked away by police and taken into custody. Identified as Hariom Sharma, the youth claimed he was a journalist and so far his political affiliation was not known. “The Congress has left the country in the dumps in the last 60 years,” he told mediapersons before being led away in a police van.
The youth accused the Congress of giving farmers nothing but false promises. “I have been a journalist for last two years. I have been so upset. They talk of bijli bill half (reduction in electricity bill by 50 per cent) and karza maaf (loan waiver). In the last 60 years while they were in power they did not waive...”
Mr. Gandhi is in the second phase of his 2500-km yatra across UP, which goes to the polls in a few months. His strategy involves addressing small public meetings and khat sabhas or cot sabhas as he tries to hit a chord with farmers, who he says have been neglected under the Narendra Modi government. During his campaign Mr. Gandhi has even pitched for a Kisan Budget, that would cater to the needs of farmers and provide them fair price and bonus for their produce. He has also promised that if his party came to power, it would waive all farmer loans in 10 days.
