Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday had to cancel his planned visit to Almora and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand after unfavourable weather conditions disrupted his travel plans. He later expressed regret over missing the opportunity to meet people and discuss his vision for the state's future ahead of the Assembly elections due next year.
After reaching Pantnagar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was unable to continue his journey and had to return to the airport as the helicopter could not fly in the prevailing weather conditions.
Rahul Gandhi later conveyed his message through a video and a post on X, apologising to the people for the cancellation of his programmes.
“Today morning I reached Pantnagar. From there, we were scheduled to go to Almora by helicopter for a public meeting, but seeing the adverse weather conditions, the pilot flatly refused to take off," he said.
He said his visit was intended to focus on Uttarakhand's economic and social concerns, as well as other challenges facing the state. The programme also included an interaction with ex-servicemen in Pauri Garhwal and a stop at a gym in Kotdwar run by Deepak Kumar. Following the cancellation, he addressed both events through virtual means.
"We are all humble before nature and there can be no compromise with the safety of co-passengers. Sometimes circumstances are not according to our wishes, but this does not reduce the desire to meet and connect with you," Rahul said, assuring people that he would return soon.
In his video message, the Congress leader said he was disappointed that he could not engage with people directly. He noted that he had hoped to discuss Uttarakhand's political and economic landscape and share his thoughts on the state's future vision. He promised to reschedule the visit at the earliest opportunity.
Earlier, Rahul spoke to participants at the Almora rally through a phone call arranged by Congress general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja.
Though parts of the telephonic address were difficult to hear, the Leader of Opposition apologised for his absence and criticised the BJP-led government.
He claimed that the aspirations behind the creation of Uttarakhand were not being fulfilled. According to him, people had envisioned a state where decisions would be taken by its own residents rather than from outside.
“The Constitution states that India, that is Bharat, is a Union of States. You made immense sacrifices to form this state. Regrettably, Uttarakhand is not being managed by its own people today; it is being operated via remote control from Delhi,” he said. He also alleged that the state's natural wealth was being exploited by outsiders, while local residents were not receiving a fair share of the benefits.
Turning his attention to the Centre, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of weakening several important socio-economic safeguards and outlined four areas of concern. He first claimed that the financial security of ordinary households, including their savings and gold holdings, had come under strain.
Secondly, he alleged that small and medium enterprises, particularly in the textile and food-processing sectors, had been adversely affected by the manner in which the GST was implemented.
Thirdly, he criticised the country's foreign policy approach, arguing that India's energy choices were increasingly influenced by international pressures. “Today, we can only purchase oil from countries approved by America. This crucial protection has been dismantled by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” he alleged.
Referring to global developments, Rahul Gandhi pointed to tensions involving Iran and the United States and said the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz highlighted concerns related to energy security.
Lastly, he alleged that safeguards available to farmers had been diluted and accused the Prime Minister of prioritising interests outside the country over domestic concerns.
The event, held in the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections, was attended by several senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Yashpal Arya and former chief minister Harish Rawat.
Gandhi had arrived in Uttarakhand on a two-day tour covering both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. The visit was planned to include public meetings, interactions with party workers and meetings with families of ex-servicemen.
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