NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Friday interacted with autorickshaw drivers in Delhi’s Bengali Market area, sitting down with them over lunch as they spoke about rising expenses and daily struggles.The Congress leader was seen wearing an autorickshaw driver’s uniform during the interaction at Todarmal Park. He also shared a simple meal of roti, dal and aloo ki sabzi (potato dish) with the drivers, sitting on the ground alongside them. According to the drivers, the lunch included roti and Bihar-style aloo ki sabzi. “We spoke about the burden of inflation, especially rising gas prices, which have made survival incredibly difficult,” autorickshaw driver Arinder Kumar Shah told PTI.”Rahul Gandhi ji promised to support the drivers and said he would raise our grievances directly before PM Narendra Modi in Parliament. We all shared a meal of roti, dal and a Bihar-style aloo ki sabzi,” Shah added. Rahul met the drivers outside his residence and discussed issues related to their welfare, insurance, earnings and everyday challenges.”Rahul Gandhi interacted with us. He promised to raise our issues in Parliament, our insurance, and other support. We even shared a simple meal. Rahul Gandhi met us unexpectedly while we were eating, and it felt good,” another auto driver told ANI.Another driver, Ramesh Prasad, said, “We told him that our business is running very slowly.””He inquired about my children’s education and how we manage our daily earnings and meals. We shared a simple meal of dal, roti, and vegetables with Rahul Gandhi ji,” he added. During the visit, Rahul Gandhi was also seen interacting with children, clicking selfies and sharing light-hearted moments with locals.The outreach came at a politically significant time for the Congress party. Later in the day, Rahul Gandhi arrived at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi for discussions on Karnataka cabinet representation and organisational responsibilities following Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation on Thursday.
