On Wednesday, Congress leader and Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi took part in a fishing exercise in poll-bound Kerala’s Kollam district. During the exercise, Rahul Gandhi jumped into the sea along with fishermen as they cast their nets. However, now claims have emerged that it was a pre-planned drama and the fishermen were paid to play their parts in this.
Rahul Gandhi had reportedly spent around 10 minutes swimming in the sea with the fishermen. A few Congress party leaders had accompanied Rahul Gandhi to the sea. A PTI report had quoted a Congress leader as saying, “He (Rahul Gandhi) jumped from the boat when he saw some fishermen jumping into the sea after casting their net to catch fish. After coming to know from their fellow fishermen that their companions were adjusting the net underwater, Gandhi also jumped into the sea”.
Shri @RahulGandhi joined the fishermen of Kollam as they toiled for the morning catch on the high-sea.#KeralaWithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/etXe1v3Nhu
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 24, 2021
However, the fishermen who witnessed Rahul Gandhi’s theatrics on Thursday has now made some sensational disclosure saying that the Congress party had staged the whole event and had paid Rs 30,000 to fishermen who accompanied him.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘swimming’ event was staged, Congress party paid money to fishermen
According to a report from Deshabhimani, a Malayalam newspaper owned by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), two ‘sea farmers’ R Robin, who hails from Mothakkara and Biju Sebastian, a resident of Vaddy, were eyewitnesses to the fishing expedition of Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Speaking to the media, the two fishermen said that the whole fishing expedition of Rahul Gandhi was nothing but a PR event and the ‘swimming in the sea’ theatrics of the Gandhi-scion was a pre-planned act.
Robin, who saw fishermen’s group leaving the shores from Kollam on Thursday with Rahul Gandhi, said the drama was staged, and they were paid Rs 30,000 to accompany Rahul Gandhi. Calling Rahul Gandhi a ‘good actor’, Robin narrated the sequence of events that followed on Wednesday when Rahul Gandhi decided to join fisherfolks at sea.
According to Robin, Rahul Gandhi did not join the fisherfolks for any fishing expedition at sea as they had already brought a load of fishes much before his arrival. Robin said Rahul Gandhi arrived at six in the morning and boarded the fishing boats. He said that fishing boats were already filled with the fishes. After spending two hours at sea, Rahul Gandhi returned to the shore. During his time at sea, Rahul Gandhi jumped into the sea along with a few other fishermen.
As per Robin, on an average day, it takes at least two and a half hours to undertake one side journey to the deep sea and to place their nets at specific fishing pockets. It takes at least four hours to fish on a normal day, said Robin contending that it was not possible for Rahul Gandhi to fish and return back in just a short span of time.
No sincerity in Rahul’s gesture, he mocked at us by jumping to sea: Fishermen, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi
Another fisherman Biju, confirming the same, said there was no sincerity in Rahul Gandhi’s gesture. If he had sincerity he should have been prepared to see the sufferings of the fishermen first hand, said Biju adding that fishermen usually jump into the water to prevent the fish from escaping from their nets.
When the fishermen were finding it tough to survive, Rahul mocked the fishermen community by jumping into the sea, lamented Biju. “Elections will come and go. Do not distort the truth. In five years, there will be nothing left for the benefit of the fishermen. And yet why this drama,” asked Biju Sebastian.
OpIndia could not independently verify the claims of the two fishermen. The Congress party is yet to react to the allegations.
Rahul Gandhi’s fishery ministry fiasco
The latest swimming’ fiasco of Rahul Gandhi comes just days after he was openly caught spreading lies about the country not having a separate fishing ministry. Not once but twice, Rahul Gandhi repeated the same lies by demanding for a separate fisheries ministry, despite being admonished last week by the Centre that India already has one.
On February 17, 2021, just days before the Congress government in Puducherry collapsed, Rahul Gandhi had promised to give the fishermen their own ‘ministry’ in Delhi. However, the Ministry of Fisheries – Giriraj Singh had to himself school the Gandhi-scion about the existence of a dedicated ministry for shipping.
Despite a rebuke from the centre the first time, Rahul Gandhi again peddled the same lies in Kerala saying he would strive to have a separate ministry for fisheries at the Centre.
