Rahul met self help groups

Hours before the Congress party President Mr. Rahul Gandhi touched down in Hyderabad, uncertainty prevailed at Gandhi Bhavan over entry passes to the two events scheduled on day one of his visit expected to heat up the political scene months before Telangana goes into election mode.

Even the Telangana Pradesh Congress party members, who are required to show up in strength as audiences at Mr Gandhi's talk in the city’s outskirts on Monday, were not sure of getting clearance from the office of the local Assistant Inspector of Police who cited absence of permission from higher ups.  TPCC members, including former Hyderabad Mayor Ms. Banda Karthika Reddy, were found trying to get their hands on a handful of passes issued after several hours of negotiations with the local ACP office, while no passes were issued to the media at Gandhi Bhavan.

The reason for the delay in providing a gateway slip was lack of police clearance from the TS police top brass, though the Special Protection Group cleared the passes a day before the event. The move is seen as a political game to dampen the Congress chief's public meets in the city. 

Rahul Gandhi's short and timely visit to Bidar gave time for Congress party members to get to Shamshabad's classic garden, the first stop of their political boss, though their entry was delayed.  Mr. Gandhi's day one meet includes interaction with the Women Force at Classic Garden, Shamshabad and his public talk at Serilingampally, both held in the city outskirts. The Congress supremo is on a two day visit to Hyderabad.