By Rajat Rai, IANS,
Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh) : Congress general secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi shared fish curry and rice Friday afternoon with villagers here even as the district administration and the police prepared to prevent him from entering the Takiya locality in this Uttar Pradesh town.
The convoy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, was allegedly attacked Sunday in Muslim-dominated Takiya locality of Azamgarh and one person was killed in the arson and communal violence that followed the incident.
Abhimanyu Singh, then deputy inspector general (Azamgarh range), and Vijay Kumar Garg, Azamgarh senior superintendent, have been suspended for the incident. The Congress has called the incident a gimmick of Adityanath to whip up communal passions.
A posse of police personnel, including paramilitary forces, were deployed in Mahula locality near Takiya, to prevent Gandhi from entering the area.
“A few battalions of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, headed by the additional superintendent of police, have been deployed and barricading has also been done on the road to prevent Gandhi from entering the area,” a police official told IANS, requesting anonymity.
Gandhi, after meeting the patients of Japanese Encephalitis in the BRD hospital, Gorakhpur, early Friday left for Azamgarh.
His convoy stopped in the Kaudiram locality of Gorakhpur around 11.30 a.m. at a government high school where Gandhi interacted with the students.
However, the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for his security, prevented the media from being present at any of his public interactions.
Gandhi’s first halt in Azamgarh was in Hazipur Chakki village, where he shared lunch with villagers.
“We had prepared fish curry and rice. He (Gandhi) complimented us for the nice preparation,” said Bhagelu, a villager.
“Gandhi is slated to return back to Gorakhpur late Friday and we are not aware about his further programmes,” said Congress spokesperson Ram Kumar Bhargava.