Rahul Gandhi: You are lucky to have seen my father last, I couldn’t!

Camp: Gunupur (Orissa)
Date: 8th March 2008

ON the second day of his trip to Orissa, Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi visited Gunupur in Rayagada district where his father Rajiv Gandhi addressed his last public meeting, accompanied by the then Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Giridhar Gamang and addressed an election rally. Rajiv Gandhi had then stopped over at Visakhapatnam on his way to Sriperumbudur, where he was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber. Addressing the gathering, Rahul said: "You are lucky to have seen my father speak at his last public meeting.Even I could not get that opportunity." Emotions ran high at the meeting as Gamang recalled Rajiv's last public address."It was tough to control my emotions as I was present when Rajivji spoke here on May 21, 1991. After seventeen years, I'm accompanying his son Rahul Gandhi.Rahul Gandhi also visited Panposh Sports Hostel at Rourkela, which has produced 34 outstanding hockey players who have represented India such as Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh Tirkey, Subhadra Pradhan, Binita Toppo etc. At present, five national players in women's hockey team and four in the men's team live in the Sports Hostel. The AICC leader lunched with the hockey players.The players requested Rahul to give them public sectors jobs in and around Rourkela so that they can concentrate on sport, without worrying about money. While Rahul's speeches on Friday emphasised how the Gandhi’s had always worked for the tribal’s of Orissa, he stressed on the neglect of youth power and the Congress blueprint to harness it on Saturday.
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