Rahul takes rough ride in Kerala - Yuva Kerala Yatra

mangaloretoday.com

Kerala, Jan 14: The Yuva Kerala Yatra, held at Nooranad in Alapuzha was supposed to help Rahul Gandhi fuel the aspirations of the youth and motivate the Congress cadres ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Instead it turned into a bit of a farce with the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Kodikunnil Suresh suffering severe injuries after he was trampled upon during a stampede. If that was not enough, the car in which Rahul Gandhi was travelling ran out of fuel and the convoy had to be stopped at a petrol pump to refuel the car.

Speaking to India Today, Kodikunnil Suresh, while convalescing at his office in Kottarakkara, said that he fell down and was trampled upon after he was pushed to the ground by some Congress workers who were eager to "shake hands with and kiss" Rahul Gandhi. He said that as he lay on the road, more than 30 people trampled over him crushing him badly.

 

"The people who were eager to shake hands with Rahul didn’t notice me lying on the road. Many others also fell on me. At last, someone recognized me and shifted me to KIMS hospital in Thiruvanthapuram in a police  escort vehicle where I was given first aid. My toe nails, which were broken, had to be removed and I was examined for internal injuries," says Suresh. "I have been advised to visit the hospital after two days. I am now resting at my Kottarakkara office," he added.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, who had come to fuel the youth’s aspirations, had his own problemsm to face - his car ran out of fuel and had to be make an unscheduled stop at a petrol pump at Mankomb along the Alappuzha Changanassery Road to refuel. And in a major security lapse, Rahul stepped out of his vehicle and spent nearly five minutes mingling with the people there.

Television footage of the Yuva Kerala Yatra of Youth Congress shows a huge stampede at the function attended by Rahul. "Though the Kerala police was there, they couldn’t control the crowd. Everyone wanted to shake hands with and kiss Rahul Gandhi. The situation was uncontrollable," Suresh said. Rahul had to be escorted away by the SPG after he got stuck among the people.

Taking a leaf out of the Aam Aadmi Party’s book, Rahul joined the Yuva Kerala Yatra led by the state youth Congress president Dean Kuriakose from 10th mile at Noranaad around 4 pm and walked for 15 minutes with hundreds of Youth Congress workers but was soon forced to climb atop a police vehicle where he sat uneasily waving at the public and shaking hands with the workers. The traffic in Kayamkulam-Punalur Road was disrupted for hours because of the rally.

 

Meanwhile, Home minister Ramesh Chennithala who accompanied Rahul Gandhi confirmed that Rahul’s car ran out of fuel but denied that there was any security lapse.

"The wind screen of the vehicle in which Rahul was travelling was damaged due to the crowding of supporters around the vehicle and he returned in another car accompanied by me. The car ran out of fuel and stopped at a pump to refuel," said Ramesh Chennithala.

Meanwhile BJP, CPI(M) and Aam Aadmi leaders dismissed the whole episode as a publicity stunt by Rahul Gandhi which in no way will turn into votes.