Raebareli: Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh staged a sit-in protest along with several BJP workers on Wednesday against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi, coinciding with his two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency.
This marks Gandhi’s first visit to Rae Bareli since April 29, following his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He arrived in Lucknow earlier in the day, where he was welcomed by UP Congress Chief Ajay Rai, Legislature Party Leader Aradhana Mishra, and other senior party leaders, before traveling by road to Rae Bareli.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Pratap Singh and BJP supporters, waving party flags, chanted slogans against Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party and held placards demanding, “Rahul Gandhi, go back.” The protest intensified to the point where Gandhi’s convoy had to halt a kilometre away from Rae Bareli for almost an hour, with police intervening to clear the path.
The tensions were further fueled by controversial posters that had surfaced across Gandhi’s constituency ahead of his visit. The banners depicted RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav as Hindu deities, labeling them as “India’s last hope, Kaliyug’s Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh.” In the illustrations, Tejaswi Yadav was shown as Brahma, Rahul Gandhi as Vishnu, and Akhilesh Yadav as Mahesh. These posters were reportedly put up by SP leader Rahul Nirmal Bagi, adding to the political heat in Rae Bareli.
Reacting strongly, BJP state spokesperson Anand Dubey stated in a video, “Rahul Gandhi, Tejaswi Yadav, and Akhilesh Yadav are opportunist Hindus, changing their stance with elections. These posters clearly aim to insult Sanatan Dharma.”
