College stay permission refused, Rahul to stay night on farm in UP's Bhadohi

Bhadohi (UP), Feb 15 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his convoy will spend the night on a farm in Bhadohi as the district administration has denied permission for his stay at a government college citing a police recruitment exam, a party member said on Thursday.

Gandhi's convoy will arrive in Bhadohi on Saturday. District Congress president Rajendra Kumar Dubey said that the party had sought permission from the authorities for the Congress leader's stay in the premises of Vibhuti Narayan Inter College in Gyanpur area, but was refused.

Explaining the refusal, Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh Bharti said the college has been chosen as one the centres for a police recruitment exam. The exam will be held on Saturday and Sunday there in two shifts, he said.

Dubey accused the district administration of deliberately creating obstacles in the Congress Yatra.

He said the party had informed the administration about the night halt at the college a week in advance, despite that, the college was made the exam centre, even as many other colleges in the district were available.

He said Gandhi and his convoy will now stay the night on the farm of Uday Chand Rai in Munshi Latpur.

The administration has granted permission for the stay and preparations are being made for it, he said.

Dubey said that the party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi will enter Bhadohi from Kandhiya railway crossing of Chauri. Upon entering the district, Gandhi will garland a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Indira Mill intersection.

Later, he will go to Rajpura Chauraha, where he will address the people of Bhadohi and Mirzapur districts at a public meeting. On Sunday, he will leave for Prayagraj via Gopiganj.

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will pass through 13 districts in Uttar Pradesh, covering 785 kilometres in seven days.

UP Congress leader CP Rai said that the yatra will enter the state in Chandauli district's Naubatpur on Friday and cover Varanasi, Bhadohi, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Amethi, Raebareli, Lucknow, Unnao, Kanpur, and Jalaun during its UP leg.

On February 22, the yatra will enter Madhya Pradesh from Jhansi, Rai said in a statement.

Gandhi will address 15 public meetings during the Uttar Pradesh leg of the yatra and interact with different sections of society.

Reportedly, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will accompany Gandhi in his Rae Bareli leg of the trip. PTI