Ahmedabad: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi yet again made Twitter have a field day when he spoke about having “gained weight” while addressing a rally in Anjar in Kutch ahead of the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017. Gandhi, speaking at the rally on Tuesday, said that Gujarat has changed his eating habits and he was gaining weight.
“Kal meri behen mere ghar aayi, unhone kaha tumhare kitchen mein to sab Gujrati hai, khakra Gujarati, achaar Gujarati, moongphali Gujarati. Toh aap logon ne meri aadatien bigad di, mera weight badh raha hai(Yesterday, my sister came to my home and said that my kitchen has everything Gujarati, khakra, pickle and peanuts. You all have changed my eating habits, I’m gaining weight),” Gandhi said, and tweets followed.
Meanwhile, Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, “I listened to Modi ji’s speech yesterday, 60 per cent of his speech was on Congress and me. This election is not about Congress or BJP but about the future of Gujarat and its people.”
Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet family members of two Kargil war martyrs who were unceremoniously removed from CM Vijay Rupani and PM Modi's rallies
BSF martyr Ashok Tadvi's daughter Rupal was taken out of Rupani's rally in Kevadia, Narmada district on Friday. On Sunday, a similar incident occurred in PM Narendra Modi's rally in Surendranagar. Sister of BSF martyr Bashir Ahmed Multani, Naseem stood up with a paper in her hand to make her representation to the PM asking why the family was not given the promised plot of land for residence and a petrol pump.Videos of these two instances went viral on social media putting BJP on back-foot as negative reactions on the ill treatment of the people poured in on social media.
Rahul Gandhi looks to corner BJP on this as he tours Gujarat for two days - Tuesday and Wednesday. He will likely meet the two families in Surendranagar and Rajpipla respectively.
Gandhi had tweeted video of Rupal being dragged out of the CM's rally along with a caustic remark about 'BJP's arrogance' and how 'patriotic' BJP CM is ill-treating a martyr's daughter.'
On Saturday however, officials from Narmada Collectorate visited Rupal and came to an agreement about the specific plot of land to be given to her. The issue was pending since 15 years. Narmada Collector RS Ninama told India Today, "We had given her four acre land for agriculture in 2011, but she and her mother (the widow of Tadvi) were insisting on land for petrol pump. As for the residential land, there was a dispute over her choice of plot. We sorted it out the next day and it has been resolved."
After receiving the land on Saturday, Rupal mentioned Rahul Gandhi's tweet while accepting that she was happy that her demands were met.
Multani on the other hand said they had only received some cash after the death of her brother, but no land, be it for residence or for building a petrol pump or agriculture has not been received by her family. Multani also alleged that the Collector office had misbehaved with her, categorically asking her not to come back with her demands.
Surendranagar Collector Udit Agrawal told India Today that these allegations were false. He however said he would look at her file properly and comment later.
BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas however did not attach excessive significance to the incidents. "These kind of things keep on happening during election time" he said "There are a few people, who are so frustrated with their problems, that they want to get it sorted as election is the only time politicians are accessible."
With the Gujarat election drawing close, the political campaigning in the state is intensifying each day. The first phase of voting in the state will take place on December 9. The second phase will take place on December 14. The counting of votes in Gujarat will take place on December 16 along with the results for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017.
