NEW DELHI: A man in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur today ran towards Congress MP Rahul Gandhi while he was walking during his pan-India foot march, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and hugged him, raising concerns over his security cordon.
In the video, a man lunging towards Mr Gandhi, who appears taken aback, and hugging him from the front, while security personnel and Congress workers pull the intruder away.
The incident comes weeks after Congress flagged concerns over Mr Gandhi’s security, alleging that there were several breaches. The grand old party demanded enhanced security cover for him. The Centre, and security forces, had shot back, saying Mr Gandhi himself had breached his security cover over 100 times since 2020.
Rahul Gandhi presently has Z+ category security cover, meaning eight to nine commandos are guarding him 24×7. As per media reports it is learnt that je has also been advised by security agencies to not walk certain stretches during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir.
As per plan, Mr Gandhi would enter Lakhanpur on January 19 and, after a night halt there, will proceed from Kathua’s Hatli Morh next morning. It will again halt for the night at Chadwal. On the morning of January 21, it will start from Hiranagar to Duggar Haveli, and proceed from Vijaypur to Satwari on January 22. He will hoist the national flag in Banihal in the Ramban disrict of Jammu and Kashmir on January 25, and is scheduled to enter Srinagar via Anantnag two days later – on January 27.