Viral Sach: Did Rahul Gandhi invite Khalistani supporters to his London event?

A group of three Khalistani activists managed to enter the event and started shouting 'Khalistan Zindabad' when Scotland Yard officers tried to escort them out of the venue. Photo: YouTube

NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi was in the United Kingdom last week where he addressed several public meetings including the Indian diaspora in Ruislip in West London. Now after he has returned home, some social media posts have gone viral claiming that the Congress chief had invited pro-Khalistan supporters to his program there. The posts, which also include a video clip, alleged that Khalistani activists during Gandhi's event shouted anti-India slogans. The 25-second clip purportedly showed a group of people, dressed in black and green turbans wrapped on their heads, raising ant-India slogans, with a poster with Gandhi's photo and his name was put up on a nearby wall. It's being alleged in the posts that these men are pro-Khalistan supporters, who were invited by Gandhi to attend his meeting. "Pro-Khalistan supporters have attended an Indian Overseas Congress meeting. Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand on this anti-national and treacherous step against India," one such message read. However, the truth is that some pro-Khalistan supporters barged into the event in London where Congress president Rahul Gandhi was to address his public meeting and tried to disrupt it. The incident took place on Saturday at the venue of the Indian Overseas Congress UK Mega Conference for the Indian diaspora in Ruislip in West London. A group of three Khalistani activists managed to enter the event and started shouting 'Khalistan Zindabad'. The hundreds gathered for the conference began a counter-chant of 'Congress party Zindabad' in reaction to the attempted disruption. Soon, Scotland Yard officers escorted them out of the venue before the Gandhi had arrived for his final engagement at the end of a two-day visit to the UK. Hence, the claim that Gandhi invited Khalistani supporters to his event stands false and fabricated. They did barge into the venue through a side-door as 'unwelcomed-guests' and chant anti-India slogans but were escorted out of the hall before Gandhi arrived.