New Delhi: Congress leaders across the country are keen to celebrate Rahul Gandhi's birthday on June 19 at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and state headquarters with much fanfare but the former party chief has advised them to visit the slums and help the people in line with his pro-poor politics.
"Rahul Gandhi prefers to celebrate his birthday in a simple manner. He does not want the usual pomp and show that party leaders and workers organise usually. In fact, he prefers that leaders should visit the poor and help them. But it is difficult to stop some workers who gather outside the party headquarters," AICC in-charge of Telangana Rohit Chaudhary told ETV Bharat.
According to the AICC national coordinator of SC, ST, OBC and Minorities Department K Raju, Rahul Gandhi's directive to keep the birthday celebrations low-key are in line with the leader's pro-poor politics.
"Right from the days, I started working with Rahul Gandhi I noticed that his politics is based on social equity. He genuinely believes that politics is not to enjoy the perks of power but to serve the people and improve their condition. He likes to be with the people and mingled with them through his two nationwide yatras that gave several ideas for the social justice plan in the Lok Sabha campaign. The people also responded accordingly. He always wants his birthday celebrations to remain low-key," Raju told ETV Bharat.
Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas told ETV Bharat, "The youth wing would undertake several social welfare programs like organising blood donation camps, distributing copies of Constitution Preamble, donating food and clothes among the poor and visiting the old age homes to mark our leader's birthday."
Yet, party insiders are expecting workers to gather outside the AICC headquarters in large numbers carrying banners, beating drums and raising slogans on June 19. Similar activity is expected at the state headquarters where local leaders are likely to cut cakes to celebrate the leader's birthday which has come in the wake of Congress revival.
The grand old party emerged stronger and increased its Lok Sabha tally from 52 in 2019 to 99. The INDIA bloc anchored by the party won 232 seats out of 543 and is set to give a tough time to the ruling NDA.
K Raju, who was visiting his home state Andhra Pradesh, said there was no directive from the AICC but the state leaders would gather at the Pradesh Congress Committee office and celebrate Rahul Gandhi’s birthday in a somber way. “Yes, there is a good reason for us to cheer. We have gained in numbers and are set for a national revival," said Raju.
"The celebrations would be big not only in Delhi but across the country. After all, it is our leader's birthday," AICC secretary in charge of Karnataka Abhishek Dutt told ETV Bharat.
Party leaders said the event would be an opportunity for the ordinary workers to express their solidarity with the leader and would reflect their way of cheering for him and it may not be fair to ask them not to come.
