Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday shared visuals of his interaction with Rameshwar, a vegetable vendor who he recently met after a video of him breaking down while talking about his hardships due to price rise had gone viral on social media. The former Congress president called for listening to the voice of an India whose "pain and challenges are far removed from the mainstream debate". Rameshwar before his meeting with the Congress leader termed it as "Bharat milaap" or "Sudama meeting Krishna".
Sharing the video of his interaction, Rahul Gandhi posted on 'X', "Rameshwar ji is the voice of an India whose pain, issues and challenges are far removed from the mainstream debate today." "It is the moral responsibility of all of us to listen to the voice of that India and help in fighting those struggles," the Wayanad MP added.
Rameshwar visited the Wayanad MP's house along with his wife and daughter.
In the video, Rahul Gandhi is seen asking Rameshwar about his woes and the vegetable vendor replied that he had worked hard but had not got much in return. The vegetable vendor says that all he needed was someone to share his pain which he got from him.
The Wayandap explained to him the Congress party's proposed income guarantee scheme.
Gandhi mentioned how he had gone to the Azadpur Mandi in Delhi to meet Rameshwar after his video had gone viral but could not find him.
In the video, Rameshwar's family and Rahul Gandhi were seen having lunch together.
In a statement issued by the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi highlighted that since the beginning of the Bharat Jodo Yatra last year, he has been listening to the people to understand their sorrows and pains, news agency PTI reported.
"Unexpectedly one day, a video of Rameshwar ji surfaced - a common man, a proud and honest Indian who wants to support his family with hard work, but his eyes were filled with tears of helplessness. What to do - on one side there is a deep well of unemployment and on the other side there is the huge gap of inflation," he was quoted as saying, as per a PTI report.
"Financially poor, but very rich at heart, Rameshwar ji - the smile remained on his face as long as we interacted.... His courage is actually a golden ray of hope," the Lok Sabha MP said about the vendor.
"Today, like crores of other Indians, Rameshwar ji stands at the end of the line of progress - a place with no jobs, no relief from inflation, no true business opportunities and no economic security. Until all facilities reach them...this journey will not stop. Together we have to fulfil this dream of freedom!" he emphasised, according to the report.