Congress plans boat ride for Priyanka from Prayagraj to Varanasi

NEW DELHI: Congress has prepared an elaborate three-day itinerary of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s boat-trip from Prayagraj to Varanasi from March 18-20, asking UP government to approve the same and provide security.

The trip, just before Holi festival on March 21, involves Priyanka taking a steamer from Prayagraj to Varanasi after visiting the Sangam and paying a visit to various temples on the way and holding public meetings with people near the Ganga banks in Sirsa, Sitamani and Mirzapur. She will spend March 20 in PMs Constituency of Varanasi, going to Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Sheetla Temple and visiting the Dashwamedh and Assi Ghats, speaking to public, local representatives and party workers.

BJP took potshots at the programme, with party spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi saying Priyanka is being able to travel on a boat in the Ganga from Prayagraj to Varanasi due to the “untiring efforts” of the Modi government to clean the river and make it navigable. “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai – Priyanka has so already accepted our slogan. She was absent from UP for over a month now. Also, she and her brother Rahul Gandhi never visited Sangam during the Kumbh but she is coming now,” Tripathi said.


BJP’s Tripathi also asked whether Priyanka will visit the grave of her grandfather, Feroze Gandhi in Prayagraj. The ‘poor timing’ of the trip just before Holi is also being pointed out in BJP circles, given that March 20 and 21are gazetted holidays in UP due to Holi Dhahan and Holi festivals.