Amethi admin asks Rahul to re-schedule visit, Cong cries foul
        Lucknow, Oct 1 The Amethi district authorities have
asked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to re-schedule his
proposed visit to his Lok Sabha constituency on law-and-order
grounds, drawing flak from the opposition party.
        Gandhi is scheduled to visit Amethi from October 4-6.
        "In order to maintain law-and-order, a majority of the
district police force will be on duty. Hence, there will be
great inconvenience in maintaining peace. Therefore, it is
requested that the tour be re-scheduled on any date after
October 5," a letter written by the Amethi administration to
the district Congress chief said.
        The letter, signed by District Magistrate Yogesh Kumar
and Superintendent of Police Poonam, added, "Through a letter
(dated September 30), it was informed that a visit of MP Rahul
Gandhi is proposed from October 4 to October 6. However, on
October 5, Durga Puja/Dussehra and Muharram will culminate at
several places."
        Reacting sharply to the letter, senior Uttar Pradesh
Congress leader Akhilesh Singh accused the Yogi Adityanath-led
BJP government in the state of "using tactics" to stop Gandhi
from visiting his Lok Sabha constituency.
        "The Uttar Pradesh government is worried and does not
want Rahul to visit Amethi, fearing that he might raise issues
directly related to the public. This scares the BJP," he said.
        Singh said the Yogi government was perhaps worried that
Gandhi's schedule might "eclipse" the proposed visit by BJP
chief Amit Shah and Union ministers Smriti Irani and Nitin
Gadkari to Amethi on October 10.
        Refuting the grounds on which the authorities have asked
the Congress vice-president to re-schedule his visit, Singh
told PTI that by October 4, almost all the festivities would
be over.
        "After all, Rahul is visiting his own parliamentary
constituency," he pointed out.