Rahul Gandhi got a new ordinary passport on Sunday
San Francisco:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Tuesday for a three-city tour of the US, during which he will interact with Indian expatriates and meet with US lawmakers.
He was received at the airport by the President of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, and other members of the IOC. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi had to wait two hours at the airport for the immigration permit.
While waiting in line, several people traveling with him on the same flight snapped selfies with him.
When people asked him why he was standing in line, Rahul Gandhi replied, “I am an ordinary man. I like it. I am not an MP anymore.” Starting with San Francisco, where he will interact with students at the prestigious Stanford University, Rahul Gandhi will address a press conference and meet with lawmakers and think tanks in Washington DC.
The 52-year-old congressional leader is also likely to address Indian Americans and interact with Wall Street executives and college students during his week-long tour of the US. He is scheduled to conclude his journey on June 4 with a public meeting in New York. The interaction was to take place at the Javits Center in New York.
Last week, Sam Pitroda, president of the Indian Overseas Congress, said Rahul Gandhi’s visit is aimed at promoting shared values and a vision of “true democracy”.
“The purpose of his (Gandhi’s) journey is to connect, interact and start a new conversation with different individuals, institutions and media, including the Indian diaspora that is growing in numbers in the United States and beyond to reflect the shared values and vision of true democracy with a focus on freedom, inclusion, sustainability, justice, peace and opportunity around the world,” said Sam Pitroda in a statement.
Rahul Gandhi received a new ordinary passport on Sunday, two days after a Delhi court gave its approval.
The former congressional president, who applied for an ordinary passport after surrendering the old diplomatic passport issued to him when he was a member of parliament, will travel to San Francisco, United States, on Monday evening for a three-city tour.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP in March following his conviction and two years in prison by a Gujarat court in a defamation case for commenting on his surname Modi.
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