While travelling overseas to destinations such as Thailand or Italy might not have been feasible in the current pandemic climate, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has found an alternative and embarked upon political tourism to satiate his wanderlust spirit. Reportedly, after the incidents of Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 (Sunday), Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra beat him to gaining the media’s attention by engaging in a scuffle with police officials and later posting the staged video of cleaning a guest house in Sitapur.
Feeling left behind, Rahul rounded up his coterie of ‘Yes Men’ (Sachin Pilot, Charanjit Singh Channi, Bhupesh Baghel and KC Venugopal) and landed in Lucknow, thinking Yogi would not let him reach ground zero and eventually put him behind the bars. The entire premise of Rahul’s political third act was built around nurturing hostility with the Yogi administration.
Read More: Truth of Lakhimpur Kheri: Meet Tajinder Singh Virk – the mastermind of Lakhimpur Kheri Massacre
However, the Yogi administration called out Rahul’s bluff and gave him the free rein to go visit the kin of the victims. Rahul’s eyes must have lit up for an instant when some kerfuffle ensued at the Lucknow airport. Initially, the Congress prince’s delegation was not allowed to leave in their vehicles as the security forces cited security reasons for the move.
हमें अपनी गाड़ी में लखीमपुर खीरी जाना है लेकिन ये (पुलिस) चाहते हैं कि हम इनके साथ इनकी गाड़ी में जाए। इसका मतलब है कि ये कुछ न कुछ बदमाशी कर रहे हैं इसलिए हम लोग यहां बैठे हुए हैं: लखनऊ में कांग्रेस नेता राहुल गांधी pic.twitter.com/LV7CsKksbC
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) October 6, 2021
In a video of the incident, Rahul could be seen arguing with UP cops who were insisting that he should be escorted in the police vehicle. Rahul, however, denied the police escort and staged a brief dharna at the airport premises, looking to stretch the issue and grab as many eyeballs as possible. However, before he could milk the situation to full effect, the Yogi administration allowed Rahul to leave in his car.
#Live | Congress leader @RahulGandhi leaves Lucknow airport. He is now on his way to Sitapur. pic.twitter.com/ST3EynQRdn
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 6, 2021
It is pertinent to note that outside the Lucknow airport, posters had come up where Rahul Gandhi and Congress party were targeted for using the Lakhimpur Kheri flare-up to gain political mileage.
One of the posters read, “Nahin chahiye farzi Sahanubhuti, khoon see bhara hai daaman tumhara, tum kya doge saath humara, nahi chahiye saath tumhara” meaning “We don’t want your fake sympathies. Your hands are covered in blood, what support will you give us, we don’t want your support”.
Posters reportedly by Sikh Community “welcoming” Rahul “1984 Riots” Gandhi near Lucknow airport!! pic.twitter.com/wNX9IioRVA
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) October 6, 2021
There were other posters too that directly referred to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi as ‘murderers of Sikhs’ and asked them to go back.
Several poster banners of 1984 Sikh Riots across Uttar Pradesh & Lucknow to welcome Rahul Gandhi & Priyanka Gandhi pic.twitter.com/q6EUSf0alb
— Nandini Idnani 🚩🇮🇳 (@nandiniidnani69) October 6, 2021
A clueless Rahul Gandhi then trundled along and met the family of deceased farmer Lovepreet Singh in Lakhimpur, with his sister joining him as well. Politics is a game of perception and thus Rahul and the entire Congress party shared images of him hugging the kins of the victims.
Meanwhile, both leaders are yet to comment on the lynching of four BJP workers who were marauded to death by the hostile farmer mob and even forced to give a fake confession.
Read More: Truth of Lakhimpur Kheri: Hari Om Mishra, the car driver who was killed by murderous farmers
Rahul’s political act of trying to remain relevant has flopped, once again and for the umpteenth time. It needs to be seen, what else the failed politician in Rahul is capable of conjuring now.
