Rahul Gandhi meets Sultanpur cobbler at his home, offers him support | Video
Ramchet, the Sultanpur-based cobbler, said that Rahul Gandhi also inquired about his business and skills during the meeting.
The Sultanpur cobbler, who Rahul Gandhi met during a visit to the Uttar Pradesh district last year, travelled to Delhi with his family to meet the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha at his home.
Gandhi invited the 60-year-old Ramchet to his home as a gesture for the hospitality he received in Sultanpur. Everything for the cobbler's visit, including the family tickets to and from Delhi as well as food and accommodation was arranged, a news agency PTI report said.
Ramchet said that he had been asking for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi for months and now it finally happened.
A car picked up Ramchet, his son, elder grandson, daughter and son-in-law, and took them to Gandhi's residence upon reaching Delhi.
"Rahul Gandhi welcomed me with a hug and Priyanka Gandhi was also present. After some time, Sonia Gandhi joined us," the cobbler told PTI. The meeting between the Congress leaders and Ramchet's family lasted for more than an hour.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has also helped Ramchet expand his business since the time he met him. During this meeting at his residence, Rahul also offered some advise to the cobbler's family.
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Ramchet said that Gandhi advised his son to aim for progress. "He offered to train him in Delhi to make high-quality shoes and slippers so he can create and send them abroad," he added.
The Sultanpur-based cobbler further said that the Raebareli MP also asked him about his business and skills during the meeting. "I presented two pairs of slippers — one for Rahul Gandhi and one each for Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi — and received their blessings," he said.
Ramchet, who owns two shops now, attributed much of his success to the encouragement and support he has received from Rahul Gandhi. He said that the Congress leader praised the cobbler community for its skills and knowledge which, Ramchet said, doesn't unfortunately get enough respect in the society.
"Priyanka Gandhi also remarked that the most expensive shoes are handmade," he added.
Additionally, Rahul Gandhi has also promised to help the cobbler further improve his skills. "Your skills need some polishing and I will help you with that," the former Congress president said.
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Rahul Gandhi had also arranged for Ramchet and his family to return to Sultanpur on February 15.
When did the cobbler first meet Rahul Gandhi?
Rahul Gandhi met Ramchet in Sultanpur on July 26, 2024 during his visit to the UP district for a defamation case hearing. The cobbler had said that he had been making footwear in a makeshift shop there for the last 40 years.
Merely days after his visit, Gandhi had sent a shoe-stitching machine to Ramchet to make his work "easier".
In addition, the slippers that Rahul Gandhi stitched while trying to learn Ramchet's work last year have been in great demand, with people offering as much as ₹2 lakh to purchase them. The cobbler, however, refused to sell as the pair was precious to him.
Ramchet recalled that even Congress leaders had offered large sums of money to buy those slippers. This was also rejected by the cobbler.