Evening Snapshot: Rahul Gandhi Dons Porter Look, Sparks BJP Backlash; DMK Criticizes Centre on NEET

Meanwhile, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal expresses concern about Centre’s decision to suspend visa services in Canada.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday created a flutter on social media following his interaction with porters at East Delhi’s Anand Vihar railway station, where he even lifted luggage after donning the porters’ uniform.

The Congress published Rahul’s pictures, saying he was a “Jannayak” or “people’s person”. The Wayanad MP said he decided to visit after the porters at the station — among Delhi’s busiest and most significant transit points — requested him last month. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera shared pictures of Rahul’s visit on X, writing in Hindi: “Paseenain ke syaahi se jo likhte hai apne iraadon ko, unke mukhair ke pannain kabhi korein nahi hua karte (Those who write with the ink of sweat your intentions, The pages of their destiny are never blank).”

The BJP was quick to respond, saying it was obvious that Gandhi had not been to a railway station in the recent past. BJP IT in-charge Amit Malviya said, “Only someone as dumb as Rahul Gandhi would carry a suitcase on head when it has wheels … It is obvious he hasn’t been to a railway station off late … Several of them now have escalators or ramps for convenience of passengers and porters. All this is nothing but theatrics.”

Meanwhile, with the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Wednesday reducing the qualifying percentile of the NEET PG 2023 exam to zero across all categories — making all candidates who appeared for the exam eligible for participation in the counselling process — the DMK, which is already engaged in a protracted row with the Centre over the exam, hit out at the BJP,

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin took to X to say that the NEET had now become “meaningless”. He wrote on X. “It’s just about coaching centres and paying for the exam. No more qualification is required. NEET = 0. NEET has nothing to do with merit, which we have been saying all along. It has become a mere formality, devoid of any real eligibility criteria. The Union BJP Govt remained heartless despite so many precious lives were lost and has now come up with an order like this. The BJP Govt must be removed just for causing loss of lives with the guillotine called #NEET.”