Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi on Tuesday at around 4 a.m. In a video shared by the Congress, Gandhi can be seen interacting with vegetable and fruit vendors during his surprise visit. This visit comes amid rising vegetable prices. Specifically, tomatoes have been in the news for their soaring prices. The rise in tomato prices has been reported across the country and is not just limited to a particular region or geography. In key cities, it rose to as high as Rs 150–200 per kg.
Congress shared the video with the caption, “People's leader Rahul Gandhi today met vegetable and fruit vendors in Delhi's Azadpur mandi. Rahul ji knew and understood their problems. Connect India journey continues…” Rahul Gandhi’s latest visit is among the spree of visits to common places in a bid to interact with common people including drivers, farmers, mechanics, vendors, etc.
Last month, the former MP, who was travelling from Delhi to Shimla, reached Haryana’s Sonipat. The former Congress President met farmers at various villages in Baroda, news agency ANI reported. During his stay, Gandhi joined the farmers in sowing as they worked in the fields in Baroda and Madina. Gandhi went into the field, plowed it with a tractor, and planted paddy. He also interacted with farmers and labourers in the field.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha in March after he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat metropolitan magistrate's court in the 2019 case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. Later, the Surat sessions court declined to stay the conviction in the matter.
The former Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad had said "how come all thieves have the common surname Modi?" while addressing a rally in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, targetting PM Modi over his last name which he shares with fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.
Following his conviction, Rahul was disqualified as an MP on March 24, as per a Supreme Court ruling in 2013. Under the ruling, any MP or MLA is automatically disqualified if convicted and sentenced to two years or more.