Rahul to return by March-end

Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have extended his “leave of absence” from politics and is expected to return by end of this month.

The 44-year-old Rahul, tipped to be named as Congress president next month, is on a sabbatical since mid-February “to reflect both on recent events related to the party and its future course”.

Congress sources had earlier indicated that Rahul would be back by March 10 but now there are indications that he may not attend the first part of the Budget Session of Parliament that concludes on March 20. It was speculated that Rahul may return by mid-March for the Congress’s agitation against the Modi government’s determined push to “dilute” the land acquisition law passed by the UPA in 2013.

The youth wing of the Congress is launching a ‘padayatra’ against the amendments to the land acquisition law on Friday from fields of Bhatta-Paarsaul, adjacent to the national capital. The twin villages shot to fame in 2011 when Rahul had led protests against land acquisition for an expressway.

The Youth Congress ‘padayatra’, in which senior leaders such as Jairam Ramesh would participate, will culminate at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday.

“We oppose the ordinance and the amendments brought in the bill. We will gherao Parliament to foil the government’s plans to help capitalists through the measure,” said UPCC spokesperson Dhirendra Singh.