Congress leader and Parliament’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, met with a group of auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi on Friday afternoon (May 29). He was spotted wearing an auto driver’s uniform and, according to visuals shared by news agency ANI on X, he “unexpectedly” sat down to share a meal with a group of rickshaw drivers at Todarmal Park in the Bengali Market area.
During the visit, the Congress leader took selfies with children and reportedly heard auto-rickshaw drivers describe their daily hardships, which they attributed to the rising cost of living driven by increasing oil prices linked to the US-Iran conflict.
“We are unable to find employment,” an auto-rickshaw driver who shared a meal with the Congress leader told ANI. “Rahul Gandhi spoke with us and assured us he would raise our concerns in Parliament, including our insurance and other forms of support. We even shared a modest meal together. Rahul Gandhi met us unexpectedly while we were eating, and it was a pleasant experience.”
This isn't the first time Rahul has met workers to hear out and address their daily concerns. Back in July of 2024, the Congress leader interacted with labourers at Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar (GTB) of the national capital.
I have previously said that manual labour is not respected in India today, and this was reaffirmed after I met the workers who wait every day in GTB Nagar hoping to find work," the Congress leader wrote on his social media accounts. "They manage to get by on a very small daily wage amid rising prices, and even that income is uncertain. Ensuring that the labourers and manual workers of India receive their full rights and due respect is the mission of my life."
Donning a white shirt for the occasion, he had indulged in some manual labour at the site.