Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's trips to Allahabad, a city which has special significance for the Gandhi family, have over the last couple of years been marred by incidents of black flag displays, protests and security breaches. That streak continued on Monday, as his cavalcade was shown black flags by Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activists.
Mr. Gandhi was in town for a day-long visit, where he inaugurated a hospital in the Trans-Yamuna Naini region of the city.
The 20-bed indoor facility at the Kamla Nehru Memorial Rural Hospital at Newada is a branch of the city-based Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital, recognized as one of 27 Regional Cancer Centres in the country.
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Mr. Gandhi's cavalcade was greeted with anti-UPA slogans and black flags as it made its way to the venue of the function.
Aam Aadmi Party workers had also planned a protest, over irregularities in the Kamla Nehru Regional Cancer Centre that was reported by The Hindu on June 14, said sources. But it was called off at the last minute.
In 2011, Mr. Gandhi was shown black flags by Samajwadi Party workers when his helicopter was about to land at a rally venue in Allahabad. A handful of SP workers had managed to sneak in after breaking the security cordon and waved black flags while shouting "Rahul go back."
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