Poor weather forces RaGa to turn back half-way from rally venue in Almora

Dehradun/Bageshwar: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had to cancel his scheduled visit to Almora and Pauri Garhwal districts on Thursday after adverse weather forced his helicopter to turn back to Pantnagar airport in Udham Singh Nagar. Gandhi was slated to address a public rally and interact with ex-servicemen, but recorded audio and video messages were played at the venues instead. Expressing disappointment over the disruption, he said he had looked forward to meeting people and sharing his vision for Uttarakhand ahead of next year’s assembly elections.

Despite the disrupted visit, Gandhi levelled four broad accusations against the current dispensation. He alleged that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was being governed through “remote control” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that Modi, in turn, was influenced by US President Donald Trump.

Referring to Uttarakhand’s statehood movement, Gandhi said, “The original vision behind the state’s creation was to ensure that local communities controlled their own future and resources. Instead, outsiders are benefiting from the state’s natural wealth while residents are being denied their fair share.”

On the economy, Gandhi argued that the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had severely damaged small and medium enterprises, particularly in sectors such as textiles and food processing. He also accused the centre of weakening the country’s economic foundations through demonetisation and policies that, he said, favoured large corporations over smaller businesses.

He further alleged that India’s data had been opened to US access and that the govt had committed to purchasing goods worth Rs 9.5 lakh crore annually from the US, a move he claimed would undermine domestic small and medium enterprises.

Turning to foreign policy and trade, Gandhi claimed that a recent India-US agreement had compromised India’s economic and strategic interests. He alleged that the deal gave the US influence over India’s energy security, agricultural markets, data governance and govt procurement.

“My question is: what did we get in return? It is only because our PM is compromised and his financial interests are linked with businessmen like Adani,” Gandhi said, describing India’s economic trajectory as heading towards a “financial tsunami”.

He further alleged that the agreement restricted India’s ability to purchase oil from countries not approved by the US. “Modi handed over our energy security to Trump. Now India can only buy oil from countries the US approves,” he said.

Gandhi also claimed that opening the agricultural sector to American producers would place Indian farmers at a disadvantage. “US farmers can sell cotton, corn, fruits and almonds in India. Indian farmers have small land holdings, while US farmers operate on a much larger scale and with more advanced technology. If US farmers sell in India, the Indian farmer will be ruined,” he said.

Attacking the govt’s relationship with major industrial groups, Gandhi said only a handful of business houses benefited from current economic policies. “Is handing over all ports and airports to one person not a national security threat? Giving all defence, drone and industry contracts to one person -- is that not a security threat?” he asked.

Addressing ex-servicemen in Pauri through his recorded message, Gandhi said patriotism was embedded in Uttarakhand’s identity and criticised what he described as “the erosion of long-standing protections for military personnel”.

He also reiterated his opposition to the Agniveer recruitment scheme, calling it “a violation of the unwritten social contract between the armed forces and the govt”. “When someone joins the forces, they do so with patriotism and a willingness to sacrifice. In return, the govt promises security for them and their families. By implementing Agniveer, the BJP has broken this unwritten contract,” he said.

He concluded by saying, “I am opposed to the Agniveer scheme and if we come to power, we will review it and scrap it.”

Box: ‘My doors are always open’: Gandhi to 19yo receptionist’s family

As part of his two-day Uttarakhand visit, Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to meet the family of the 19-year-old receptionist who was murdered in 2022 at a resort near Rishikesh. After inclement weather forced the cancellation of his visit, Gandhi spoke to the victim’s parents via video call. During the conversation, they expressed a desire to meet him in person. Assuring them of his support, Gandhi said, “My doors are always open for you. If you want to bring more people, you are welcome.” He added that he had asked Congress state chief Ganesh Godiyal to look into the matter and make the necessary arrangements.