Rahul interacts with people standing in queues outside banks in Mumbai

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, on his way to the Mumbai airport, surprised everyone, including his security personnel, when he broke the cordon and interacted with people who were standing outside banks to exchange and withdraw cash in the western suburb of Vakola on Wednesday.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, on his way to the Mumbai airport, surprised everyone, including his security personnel, when he broke the cordon and interacted with people who were standing outside banks to exchange and withdraw cash in the western suburb of Vakola on Wednesday.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi arrives at the Bhiwandi court on Wednesday. (Rishikesh Choudhary)

Gandhi asked people about the impact of demonetisation, said a party leader.

Read: Demonetisation is anti-poor, favours industrialists, says Rahul Gandhi

Last week, the Modi government invalidated the Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes to crack down on ‘black money’.

“People expressed their anger towards the government and also told Rahulji about their plight. A cancer patient told him that she had been standing in the queue for hours with no assurance of getting cash. Others said banks turned them away, saying the cash with them has finished. Rahulji patiently heard all of them,” said Kripashankar Singh, Congress leader and former MLA from the area.

Singh said that people were happy to meet Rahul.

Rahul is known for his unscheduled stops by breaking his security cordon. In February 2010, he boarded a local train on western railway during morning peak hours. In January this year, during a protest rally against the power hike, he interacted with hawkers between Bandra and Dharavi.