Rahul lends a patient ear to Surat diamond workers

Congress youth icon Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrapped up his three day visit of Gujarat after meeting diamond workers, party workers and media-persons in Surat. However, the visit was full of chaos, none more than the attack on some press photographers and  cameramen by Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel accompanying Gandhi.

Gandhi arrived at Surat airport a short while after 12.30 pm, from where he went to Sardar Smriti Bhavan onVarachha road for an interaction with diamond workers. During the interaction, Gandhi launched a scathing attack on chief minister Narendra Modi and said the Gujarat government had failed to provide relief to workers.

Gandhi then went to a Youth Congress member enrolment booth at Bombay Market near Sahara Darwaza, where he spoke to party workers. However, as Gandhi was leaving, three press photographers and a news channel cameraman were assaulted by SPG personnel.

The mediapersons were trying to take Gandhi's pictures when the attack took place.  Soon more photographers and a couple of senior reporters of local language dailies were also roughed up at the circuit house by SPG officials.

Mediapersons then stormed out of the press conference at circuit house on learning about the attack and even staged a protest.  Media-persons remained unmoved even when many local Congress leaders apologised. However, they relented when Gandhi himself apologised and assured to take appropriate action.  More on  p5