Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav were seen riding motorcycles through the streets of Araria in Bihar’s Purnea district on Sunday as part of the ongoing ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’.
The 1,300-km yatra, which began on August 17 from Sasaram, will span over 20 districts in 16 days, culminating in a major rally in Patna on September 1.
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During the rally, an overenthusiastic supporter ran up to Rahul Gandhi and hugged him. In response, security personnel slapped the fan, a moment that was captured on video and quickly went viral, sparking mixed reactions from netizens.
Netizens react
One social media user said, “This is the fault of the security; there is no fault of Rahul Gandhi, it can be clearly seen.”
Another user commented, “All of this is scripted by the PR team.”
Reactions ranged from sarcasm to concern, with one user writing, “50 rupayya kaat overacting ka,” while another observed, “That’s love for him, but also dangerous.”
Bihar elections
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and Yadav were seen riding motorcycles as the yatra entered Araria, with people lining the streets to see the two leaders.
Gandhi, addressing a rally in Katihar district on Saturday evening as part of the yatra, had deplored “attempts to steal votes” in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls, in favour of the BJP, which has “shut the doors of opportunities” for the poor since coming to power at the Centre.
“The BJP and the RSS believe that Dalits must not be emancipated, the extremely backward classes must not be allowed to move up the social ladder and women should not be given more freedom; and so they are hell bent upon destroying the Constitution,” Gandhi had alleged.
Bihar Assembly elections are due later this year, though the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced the schedule yet.
(With inputs from agencies)