Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is in Allahabad to address a public meeting, Thursday paid a visit to the grave of his grandfather, Firoz Jehangir Gandhi, in the Mumfordganj locality.Gandhi’s visit to the only Parsi graveyard in the city was described as a personal programme and not disclosed to the media and other Congress partymen.
According to Brijlal, the 70-year-old caretaker of the graveyard, Rahul Gandhi’s mother and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited the graveyard about eight years ago.
“Rahul came here around 2.15 p.m. along with some Parsi family friends and spent about 10 minutes,” said Brijlal, adding that the young Congress MP placed a wreath on the grave.
He also visited the Naini Central Jail to meet some imprisoned activists of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of the Congress.
On Aug 25, a group of NSUI activists organised a demonstration outside the Allahabad University vice-chancellor’s office to demand revival of the student union elections that were banned after Mayawati came to power in May 2007.
However, the protest turned violent and the activists allegedly ransacked the vice-chancellor’s office. A case of attempt to murder was filed against them, besides for other offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“The jailed activists are not getting bail due to the false sections of the IPC imposed on them. Rahul has assured them of all possible help,” a party source, accompanying Rahul Gandhi, told IANS.
Rahul was slated to visit his ancestral house, the Anand Bhawan which is the birthplace of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. However, he dropped the visit due to some problems, party sources said.