Shravasti (Uttar Pradesh):
It was a surprise visit by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday that left the Uttar Pradesh Police in a tizzy and Chief Minister Mayawati fuming.
He paid the visit to the flood-affected Shravasti district, spent the night at the house of Chedi Ram Pasi, a Dalit and even had the dinner with him. Rahul Gandhi was also seen helping students at a primary school in the Rampur Tilhar village of the district.
His surprise tour started last week around 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon, when he was spotted leaving an Indian Airlines flight at the Lucknow airport. He was then seen on the streets of Lucknow, seated in an Innova, with his security following him in three SUVs.
Gandhi's trip, however, left others less impressed - especially the Uttar Pradesh Police. They claim that Rahul sneaked into the state, broke protocol by not informing them of his plans, and went missing for 18 hours.
But the UP Police forms the outer cover of Rahul Gandhi's security, and is responsible for securing any places he's scheduled to visit. Mahesh Gupta, Home Secretary, says the state government will complain to the Centre about Gandhi's visit. This, however, may be prompted more by politics than security. The UP chief minister has never concealed her dislike for the Gandhis and their trips to their constituencies and other parts of her state.
The Congress, meanwhile, dismissed UP's complaints, attributing them to Mayawati's insecurity. Party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said, "All procedures were followed, and the SPG was informed. After that, it's the state government's responsibility."
Gandhi's security has been a recurring concern lately. Last month, he travelled by Shatabdi Express between Delhi and Ludhiana for an official function. On his way back to Delhi, his train was stoned near Panipat in Haryana. Gandhi was not hurt, but the windows of three coaches were shattered. His train journey was part of an austerity drive launched by the Congress at the behest of his mother, Sonia Gandhi.