Rahul Gandhi denied permission by local authorities to inaugurate road in Amethi

The Yogi Aditayanth government has denied permission to the AICC President Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate a 5-km long newly-constructed road for the people of his parliamentary constituency Amethi.  

According Amethi BJP District President Um Shanker Pandey, the road in Amethi was built under the Pradhan Mmantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), with a total cost of Rs 3.30 crore. “How can he inaugurate a road which was constructed with  the Central government funds and not from his MPLAD fund, ” pointed Pandey.

On a complaint from Pandey, the district administration has put on hold the inauguration ceremony for which a plaque with the name of AICC President Rahul Gandhi has already been put up there at Thari Kotwa area in Amethi. A senior district administration official, however, gave different reason for stalling the inauguration ceremony.

“We have denied permission for the inauguration as the Thari Kotwa Road is still under-construction and is yet to be completed,” said the official. He claimed that the local MP may inaugurate such projects in the presence of a minister.

The District Magistrate Shakuntala, however, refused to make any comment on the controversy surrounding inauguration of the road between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Agitated over denial of permission, local Congress leaders said that they will go ahead with the inauguration ceremony come what may.

Meanwhile, the AICC President Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day tour to his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, may also be joined by her mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The district administration has received the security protocol. But it may be cancelled last minute. Last month also she was to visit Rae Bareli for a day on February 24 but at the last moment it was cancelled due to her health problems.

Congress district President B.K. Shukla claimed that Sonia will visit only if her doctors allowed her to travel. If she finally visits, it will be Sonia’s first visit to her Lok Sabha constituency after a gap of over two years.

As per programme received, Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate IMA Bhawan, Passport Sewa Knedra and other projects completed with her MPLAD funds. She will hold meetings with District Congress Committee members and hold a janata durbar with son and AICC President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.

Earlier, the AICC President was mobbed by party workers at the Amausi Airport. Workers raised slogans against UPCC Acting Chief Raj Babbar and former Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari for ignoring party’s interest in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. They alleged that the two leaders were promoting nepotism and giving importance to those who have joined the party recently.

Rahul had visited Amethi on January 15 first time after becoming AICC President. It is not a coincidence that Union minister Smriti Irani always pays a visit to the parliamentary constituency before or after Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Irani was in Amethi on a two-day visit from Friday. After inaugurating a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar she took a jibe at AICC President on no development of Amethi. She had lost to Rahul from Amethi in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. “She comes to Amethi for only picnic not for development,” charged Yogendra Mishra, Congress district president.