Rahul Gandhi at the Youth Congress rally in Kerala.
Rahul Gandhi today briefly joined the statewide march of Youth Congress workers in Kerala's Alapuzha district.
The Congress vice-president, who was expected to walk with his party workers on foot for about five kilometres, had to get back into a car after a 10-minute walk because of the unruly mob.
The Kerala Yuva Yatra, or youth walk, announced a month ago, focuses on young Congress members in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections, due by May.
The 43-year-old leader was accompanied by Ramesh Chennithala, who before becoming Kerala's Home Minister, was the state Congress president for nine years.
In Kerala, the Congress has had a track record of fielding young leaders for the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly elections, most of them winning their seats.
Mr Gandhi's march in support of the Youth Congress is expected to boost the morale of its members at a time when the Kerala Congress seems to be on the defensive.
The Congress Number Two travelled economy class to Cochin and then drove to the venue in Alapuzha, giving the usual chartered flight a miss.