Shoe hurled at Rahul during roadshow in Uttar Pradesh

A shoe was hurled at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during his roadshow in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur town, about 90 km from here, on Monday. Police sources said Hariom Mishra, a resident of Hargaon in the district, flung his shoe at Rahul.

But the shoe missed Rahul and hit another person who was beside him on the bus. Mishra, who was nabbed by the police, is said to be associated with a local TV news channel, the police said.

Rahul said the incident was the handiwork of the RSS and BJP. “I want to tell the BJP and RSS that I will not be scared by such attacks...you can keep throwing shoes at me. I return your (BJP-RSS) shoe and keep with me my love and affection for the people,” he said.

Mishra, for his part, later told reporters that Rahul had ignored the martyrdom of the 18 soldiers who lost their lives in the Uri terror attack. Rahul, who is on his ‘kisan yatra’ from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, earlier addressed several roadside meetings in the district.