An anonymous letter threatening to kill Rahul Gandhi at an election meeting in Puducherry has been received by a senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy.
The Congress Vice President is scheduled to address an election rally of the Congress-DMK alliance tomorrow at Karaikal in Puducherry.
After the death threat letter surfaced, a delegation of top Congress leaders met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi today and urged him to beef up Rahul's security. Singh assured the delegation there will be prompt action and security enhancement.
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Narayanasamy, an AICC General Secretary and a former Union Minister, told PTI from Karaikal over phone that he had received an 'unsigned letter' at his Puducherry residence on May 5, threatening him and Rahul Gandhi.
He said the letter written in Tamil stated that "your party is responsible for closure of industries in Puducherry. We will attack you and your former Prime Minister's son and be blasted while attending a meeting."
Narayanasamy said he had filed a complaint with police and had also informed the party high command.
The Congress delegation including Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi; treasurer Motilal Vohra and Congress Deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma met Singh and apprised him about the threat to Rahul's life.
"The Home Minister has assured prompt action and security enhancement. He has also assured us that the agencies of Centre and and states and SPG will be alerted to the threat that has been received," Sharma told reporters after the 20- minute meeting with the Home Minister.
The Special Protection Group (SPG) guards the Prime Minister, the former prime ministers and their immediate family. Sonia Gandhi and her two children--Rahul and Priyanka --are SPG protectees.
Rahul's father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991 shortly before he was to address a Lok Sabha poll rally.
As a convoy of cars, buses and open trucks rolled into
the temple town, people rushed out of their houses to have a glimpse of the Congress leader, who is out on a 'mahayatra' during which he will cover 39 districts spread over 55 of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
Much significance is being attached in political circles to Rahul's visit to Hanuman Garhi.
Observers see a soft Hindutva agenda in the Ayodhya visit at a time when Congress appears to follow a Brahmin-centric campaign in Uttar Pradesh prescribed by election strategist Prashant Kishor, who is scripting every move of the Congress scion.
After his brief visit to Hanuman Garhi Temple, Rahul returned to the Circuit House before staring his road show to culminate with a visit the Kichaucha Sharif Dargah, a Muslim shrine in adjoining Ambedkar Nagar, apparently to play a balancing act.
Kishor is of the view that Congress must win its original constituencies of Muslims, Brahmins and a section of the non-Dalit Other Backward Castes (OBCs) as it makes a serious attempt at an impact in UP, which it had last won 27 years ago.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress had secured only two seats from UP with Sonia and Rahul emerging victorious from their family strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively. The party is trying to regain its lost moorings in the state where it currently has only 29 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly.
Congress has been in political wilderness in UP since 1989 following the emergence of 'Mandal-Mandir' politics and rise of BSP which took away its crucial Dalit vote base. Mayawati's party had also lured a large chunk of Brahmin votes in the past when candidates of the community were given tickets by her to contest elections.
The Brahmin community plays a significant role in poll outcome in central and eastern UP as it is the dominant caste there. Once a traditional vote bank of the Congress, Brahmins in the state shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the emergence of 'Mandal-Mandir' politics.
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Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements were put in place in twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya in view of Rahul's visit. Several roads were cordoned off, causing inconvenience to the residents.
While shops in the vicinity of the Congress office were allegedly forced to shut down, school children had a tough time reaching their destinations as they got stuck in the traffic jams that also took its toll on the emergency medical services.
Expressing regret over the problems faced by common people, Faizabad SSP Mohit Gupta said, "We could not take any risk with the security of Rahul Gandhi who is a national figure. We were left with no option other than blocking some roads and diverting traffic."
The time when Rahul moved to Ayodhya from Faizabad Circuit House to offer prayer at Hanumangarhi temple around 9 in the morning was the hectic time of school going children and office-goers.
During his visit, all the roads from Faizabad to Ayodhya between 8 to 10 in the morning were blocked and all bylanes remain sealed.
Several ambulances were stuck in the traffic snarls.
