Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi kick-started his flagship ‘Khat Pe Charcha’ campaign to woo farmers of Uttar Pradesh in Deoria on Tuesday. However, just after his first rally ended, all hell broke loose as people started taking away the cots which had been placed in the open ground to seat people.
Gandhi started his day pretty sedately. He reached Deoria around 10.45 am by chopper and met with many many farmers. He listened to them and promised them loan waivers and a reduction in power tariff by 50 per cent if voted to power.
He then had a ‘khat sabha’ where people were seated on cots to listen to the Congress leader.
राहुल संग खाट सभा के लिए देवरिया में जुटी भारी मात्रा में महिलाएँ. #देवरिया_से_दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/uPRVf1CiMQ
— UP Congress (@UPCC_Official) September 6, 2016
राहुल गांधी जी देवरिया खाट सभा में किसानों से मिलते हुए. #देवरिया_से_दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/JsGHHXGaBq
— UP Congress (@UPCC_Official) September 6, 2016
But as soon as it was over, everyone at the rally decided to leave with the cot they were sitting on:
Locals fight for Khatiyas (wooden cots) after Rahul Gandhi’s Khat Sabha in Deoria, UP. pic.twitter.com/uLnI18ANXR
— Times of India (@timesofindia) September 6, 2016
Here’s a video:
WATCH: Chaos breaks out as locals fight for Khatiyas(wooden cots) after Rahul Gandhi’s Khat Sabha in Deoria ends pic.twitter.com/4tUxP81L1w
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 6, 2016
Some of them did pretty impressive things to escape with a cot:
A village woman taking away Khat from @OfficeOfRG‘s Khat Sabha conceived by @IndianPAC #PrashantKishore. @ETPolitics pic.twitter.com/2xoM4UMzRk
— ManMohan Rai (@ManMohanRaiET) September 6, 2016
According to a report by Telegraph, 60,000 cots that are estimated to cost Rs 600 each were procured by the party for the party Vice President’s campaign that will cover 2500 km ahead of the state polls next year.
And obviously everyone on Twitter had a laugh:
@ANINewsUP @ANI_news राहुल जी की खाट यू पी वाले उठा ले गए ☺☺☺
— Hindustani (@JantaJanardan2) September 6, 2016
@ANINewsUP @kailashwg crowd’s were more interested in taking Khatiyas than to hear Rahul least if he thinks public had come to hear him.
— Sanjay G.Varu (@SanjayGVaru) September 6, 2016
@ANINewsUP @kailashwg Farmers taking revenge on @OfficeOfRG for Jijaji’s land grab.
— Biju Nair (@BijuNair20) September 6, 2016
@ANINewsUP @ANI_news khatiya khadi ho gayi
— Maha Jhelu (@Jhelu_tweet) September 6, 2016
@ANINewsUP @ANI_news What is it? घटिया राजनीति Vs खटिया राजनीति?
— Kahanikaar™ (@vishalvkumar) September 6, 2016
@ANINewsUP @ANI_news What a country we are? Kuch bhi aanedo. pic.twitter.com/2SB0VVH6W7
— Parvez Khan (@iamparvezkhan22) September 6, 2016
The Congress will be hoping that its generosity with the cots will also boost votes for the party in the upcoming elections.
(With inputs from PTI)
(Feature image source: Twitter| UP Congress)