The Hindu : Front Page : Congress leaders denied permission to meet Rahul

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Saturday, Oct 22, 2005

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Congress leaders denied permission to meet Rahul

Special Correspondent

Congress leaders not allowed to enter even the VIP lounge at airport

FLOORED BY SELF-HELP: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad on Friday on his arrival on a two-day visit to the State. - Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

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HYDERABAD: Congress leaders were denied permission to enter the VIP lounge at Hyderabad airport as tight security marked the arrival of their party MP Rahul Gandhi on a two-day visit to the State on Friday.

Mr. Gandhi arrived by a regular Indian Airlines flight from Chennai and left for Bhongir in Nalgonda district in the afternoon to interact with self-help groups in the field of micro-finance. Details of his visit were kept under wraps and Congress leaders were asked not to turn up at the airport to receive him.

Following these instructions, Information and Public Relations Minister Md. Ali Shabbir dropped his plan to plan to meet Mr. Gandhi at the airport. T

ight security by personnel of the Special Protection Group (SPG) made it impossible for the leaders to come near their party leader. Anjan Kumar Yadav, MP, and his followers, besides some activists of the Priyanka-Rahul Gandhi Brigade were not allowed into the lounge where Mr. Gandhi spent 10 minutes.

They made a vain bid to present a "kanduva" but were pushed back by the SPG personnel. Undeterred, they tried to block the convoy, but were pushed aside.

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