Rahul will be back very soon, says Sonia Gandhi tells Amethi

Amethi: Rahul Gandhi will be back among people “very soon”, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said in Amethi on Saturday about her son who has been on a mysterious “leave” for over a month now. [caption id=“attachment_2178231” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Rahul Gandhi will be back ‘very soon’. AP[/caption] “Both Rahul and Priyanka will be among you all very soon,” Sonia Gandhi said, while replying to questions on whereabouts of the party vice president. She, however, did not specify the exact timing of his return. Party sources have earlier said that Rahul, who went on the sabbatical on 22 February, is likely to return in April after which the issue of leadership is expected to gain momentum. Leaders have all along maintained that Rahul will be back in the “proximate future” but have given no specific date. After his return, Rahul is expected to take a call on when to assume the party’s mantle, notwithstanding the fact that the schedule for organisational elections including for the President’s post is out. “Rae Bareli and Amethi are our responsibility …this is our family our home,” Sonia Gandhi said in Purey Devbadhi village after meeting the family of farmer leader Mohammad Ayub who lost his life in the rail accident. Earlier this week, posters had emerged in Amethi declaring that the local MP (Rahul Gandhi) was “missing”. Pasted at markets, railway and bus stations, the posters titled “Missing Amethi MP” asked people to launch a manhunt to find the “missing” leader. To a question on Land Acquisition Bill, Gandhi said talks were on with the government on the issue and will continue. Congress has been stridently opposing the bill which aims at amending the law enacted during UPA rule in 2013. Gandhi, who visited the constituency of her son here after touring her own Rae Bareli constituency, paid visit to the families of Bachrawan rail accident victims in Purey Kumharan, Brahmani, Sarai Mahesh villages. The Congress chief, who also met farmers facing massive losses because of untimely rains and hailstorm, promised that she will talk to the government for ensuring quick and adequate compensation. PTI