Mumbai/Dubai: With the rise of Narendra Modi on the National horizon of Indian politics, Non Resident Indians (NRIs), whose participation so far was only limited to diaspora conventions, have suddenly become important.
After becoming Prime Minister, Modi with the help of event managers and social media used this lot effectively to enhance his publicity as a popular leader.
Perhaps adopting the same path Rahul Gandhi went to the United States just days before the Gujarat state election and “re-launched” himself so strongly that the BJP which was till recently talking about “Congress Mukt Bharat” were seen searching for shelter.
Now, Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have planned his first foreign visit as Congress president with Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As reported by Gulf News, Congress President Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the UAE on January 9 and some Congress party leaders have already visited Dubai to lay ground for his visit to oil the rich Gulf State which has a sizeable number of Indians staying there.
Rahul Gandhi will visit the UAE after attending the Biennial International Convention of GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin, a global networking platform for Indian businessmen,) in Bahrain on January 8, Gulf News reported citing a senior member of Indian Cultural and Arts Society (INCAS) UAE, an Indian community group in the UAE with political allegiance to the Congress party.
“We are very happy that he is visiting the GCC and has decided to come to the UAE,” Punnakkan Mohammad Ali, General Secretary of INCAS UAE committee, told Gulf News
He said the loyal party followers among the Indian expats are thrilled to hear the news.
“They will be more than delighted to get a chance to meet him. We have requested for that and we are working on arranging a public meeting,” said Ali.
He said a few members of the All India Congress Committee had already visited the UAE to inspect the venues suggested by the Congress workers here.
“There were three venues in Dubai in consideration. Mostly, the meeting will be held at the [Dubai World] Trade Centre, considering the weather conditions and the fact that it is a working day.”
Ali said Gandhi is also scheduled to meet the UAE leaders during his first visit here, including Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Commander of UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was the Chief Guest of the Republic Day Function 2017 and whom Prime Minister Modi calls a "personal friend".
AICC members are expected to visit the UAE again on December 26 and more details about Gandhi's itinerary will be divulged then.
Cambridge educated Gandhi, 47 is a member of the Indian parliament as well as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.
His visit to the GCC as the leader of the party gathers much political significance at a time he has instilled new hopes in the party after the recent election in Gujarat, the home state of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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