Yogi U-turn: Rahul Gandhi gets go-ahead for Amethi visit

Lucknow: After facing criticism for asking Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to put off his three-day visit to Amethi, district magistrate Yogesh Kumar said on Monday that the Congress MP could visit his constituency as scheduled earlier.

The Amethi DM said that he had “never said no” to the Congress MP, but had simply suggested a postponement, taking into account the concerns over his security.

“We had just sent a confidential letter to the district Congress chief suggesting that the visit be postponed by a day or two in view of the fact that security personnel were busy with the immersion of Durga idols and Muharram,” Mr Kumar said.

The administration is ready for his visit on the original dates as the Congress MP wanted to stick to his schedule, he said. Mr Gandhi is scheduled to visit his constituency from October 4 to 6.

According to UPCC president Raj Babbar, by asking Mr Gandhi to reschedule his visit, the Yogi government had shown its “cowardice and fear” that the Congress leader might overshadow the proposed visit of BJP chief Amit Shah and Union ministers Smriti Irani and Nitin Gadkari, all of whom are scheduled to visit Amethi on October 10.

District Congress chief Yogendra Misra said, “Rahul Gandhi is coming to meet the people of his constituency and he cannot be stopped. He will be arriving here as per his schedule on October 4 and the administration will be responsible for his security”.