Priyanka meets late Akhilesh Singh’s family in Rae Bareli

Rae Bareli: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday reached Rae Bareli to meet the family of former Congress legislator Akhilesh Singh, who passed away on August 20.

Priyanka spent about half an hour with the family of the late leader and conveyed to them condolences from her mother Sonia Gandhi, who is an MP from Rae Bareli.

Akhilesh Singh’s daughter Aditi Singh is now a Congress MLA from the Rae Bareli Sadar seat, which was earlier held by her father.

Priyanka later left for the Bhuemau Guest House, where she will meet her party workers. She will then proceed to Lalganj’s Modern Rail Coach Factory, the workers of which are protesting against its privatisation.

Some of the agitating workers had met the Congress leader in the morning upon her arrival here to inform her of their demands. Priyanka assured the workers that she would support them in their efforts to prevent the factory’s privatisation.

The Ministry of Railways has envisaged corporatisation of its seven production units and associated workshops under one entity called the Indian Railway Rolling Stock Company.

Sonia Gandhi had on July 1 raised the issue of privatisation of public sector units in the Lok Sabha and accused the government of selling the country’s assets to private players at a throwaway prices.

This is Priyanka Gandhi’s second visit to Uttar Pradesh. Earlier this month, she visited Ubbha village in Sonebhadra district, where at least 10 tribals were killed in a caste carnage last month over a land dispute.