Gandhinagar/Himmatnagar:

Taking a detour from his fixed schedule Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today visited famous Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar before the fourth leg of his Navsarjan Gujarat Yatra which stared from Chiloda in Gandhinagar district in Northern region of the poll bound state.

Rahul spent around 20 minutes in the temple which was on November 2 also visited by PM Narendra Modi on the occasion of its silver jubilee.

Rahul’s trip to this important temple with lakhs of devotees across Gujarat is being seen as the image-refining strategy of the opposition party. Though Askhardham temple visit was not mentioned his schedule, He is also scheduled to visit over half a dozen temples including famous Ambaji temple where he would go this evening. He had started the first leg of his yatra on September 25 after puja in Jagat temple of Dwarka.

Later addressing the public at Chiloda and Prantij he though welcomed the decision of FM Aruj Jaitley and the GST council to remove several items from 28% tax bracket yet he said that the opposition of congress would continue till the 28% bracket is abolished completely and it was truly converted in to a one tax regime. He thanked the people of Gujarat for pressurizing the government. He repeated his allegations against Modi government as well as BJP including its alleged failure in employment creation, Demonetization and other issue. He also read out comparative data of development between Congress ruled Himachal and Gujarat to show the better performance of the former on many counts. He also alleged that Modi government was working for the benefit of a handful of Industrialists.

Earlier he had went to a roadside dhaba near Chandrala village in Prantji to have tea and Gujarati snack.

While entering in Himmatnagar later a group of youths showed black flag to him and also chanted Modi-Modi.

Notably Rahul would participate in various meetings, interactions, corner meetings and rallies during the 3 day trip which would cover 6 districts of Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Aravalli, Patan and Mahesana.

Interestingly, North Gujarat is deemed a stronghold of Congress with 17 of its 32 seats going to the party in last assembly elections. However, in the wake of attack over Rahul’s vehicle in Dhanera of flood-hit Banaskantha district on August 4 this year, special security arrangements have been made for his trip through the district this time around. Banaskantha SP Neeraj Badgujar said that a large deployment of police would be done for the Congress leader’s trip.

Rahul would continue his temple visits in Gujarat this time as well and would visit several well-known temples including Ambaji, Becharaji etc. Interestingly his trip would end at Visnagar in Mahesana on November 13 where the spark of violent Patidar quota agitation had started in July 2015.

Rahul had started the first leg of the Yatra with Puja in Dwarka temple on September 25 and covered 5 district of Saurashtra region till September 27. In the second leg from October 9 to 11 he had covered 6 districts in Central Gujarat. Later from November 1 to 3 in the third leg he had toured 6 districts in South Gujarat.

. He would organize a farmer’s rights rally in Himmatnagar. and a public meeting on Tribal rights issues in Khedbrahma. In the evening he would have darshan at Ambaji temple and make a night stay there. On day 2 he would have an interaction with the social media and IT team of the party at Ambaji, address a public meeting at Palanpur, Yuva Rozgar Sabha at Deesa, visit Thara temple, address public meetings at Thara. and Patan. He would make his second night halt at circuit house Patan.

On the third and final day of his trip he would held an interaction with Dalit leaders in Patan and a Chopal at Harij and visit Shankheswar and Becharaji temple. In Becharaji he would also address a Rozgar Adhikar meeting. and a Mahila Adhikar Sabha in Mahesana. His trip would conclude with a corner meeting in Visnagar.

DeshGujarat