Rahul Gandhi dons khaki uniform, shares meal during unofficial meet with Delhi's auto drivers

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, held an informal gathering with auto-rickshaw drivers at Todarmal Park near Bengali Market in Delhi on Friday.

For the unannounced meet, the Congress leader showed up donning a uniform to discuss the issues faced by the drivers. In a video shared by Congress, he was seen engaged in a light conversation while sharing a meal with them under the shade of a tree. As described by the drivers, the MP also listened to their daily struggles.

The discussion with the top Congress leader provided a sense of relief to the auto drivers as Rahul Gandhi assured them that he would raise their issues in Parliament.

"Today we met Rahul Gandhi ji. While we were eating, he arrived. He ate with us and talked. Rahul Gandhi ji asked about all our problems, so we told him that our children have studied, but they are not getting employment. He assured us that he will raise our issues in Parliament," said one of the auto drivers who interacted with Rahul Gandhi.

Arinder Kumar Shah, who was also part of the group, told PTI, "We spoke about the burden of inflation, especially rising gas prices, which have made survival incredibly difficult. Rahul Gandhi ji promised to support the drivers and said he would raise our grievances directly before PM Narendra Modi in Parliament. We all shared a meal of roti and a Bihar-style aloo ki sabzi."

Gandhi also reportedly assured the drivers that he would focus on insurance and other forms of assistance for them.

This is not the first time when Rahul Gandhi tried to connect with the masses. In the past, he has held multiple high-profile informal interactions with gig workers, delivery partners, and cab drivers. One of his notable interactions took place in Bengaluru, where he discussed gig workers' issues and even took a 2 km ride with a delivery partner on his vehicle.