Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had a narrow escape on Saturday when his head apparently came in contact with an electrical wire during a programme in Agra, described as the second security breach during his ongoing farmers’ march in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
However, it was not clear if it was a live wire. State Congress president Raj Babbar said Gandhi’s head did not touch a live wire but an “overheated halogen lamp”.
{{/usCountry}}However, it was not clear if it was a live wire. State Congress president Raj Babbar said Gandhi’s head did not touch a live wire but an “overheated halogen lamp”.
{{/usCountry}}The incident, coming a few days after a shoe was thrown at him, sent security personnel into a tizzy and sparked discussions on social media.
A series of photographs available with HT shows Gandhi ducking in shock and then gesticulating to a priest who was with him during the garlanding of a statue of Maharaja Agrasen at Favara crossing.
“It was a halogen lamp which was overheated and as Gandhi’s hand touched it, he was forced to withdraw his hand. It was not an electric shock,” said Babbar, an actor-turned-politician.
Amateur video footage showed Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel lifting up the wire for Gandhi to pass even as the priest continues to shower flower petals on the Congress leader.
When Babbar asked Gandhi if he was okay, the Congress vice-president responded in jest: “Aapne to mujhe current lagwa di (You got me electrocuted)”.
Gandhi continued with the road show.
The electricity wire was apparently being used to power the shops in the market.
Gandhi is on a 2,500 km ‘Kisan Mahayatra’ that will pass through 223 assembly constituencies in the state.
Last week, a man threw a shoe at him in Sitapur. The footwear missed Gandhi narrowly but sent jitters through the security agencies.
With inputs from IANS