Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to return to India tonight. Rahul had left for abroad last month in December for a "short personal visit", Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had confirmed. He, however, had not disclosed Rahul Gandhi's destination, but sources revealed he left for Milan in Italy on a Qatar Airways flight in the morning. His maternal grandmother stays in Italy and he visited her earlier too.
Rahul Gandhi is also set to visit Tamil Nadu on January 14, the Pongal day and witness a bull-taming event, 'Jallikattu,' the party's state president KS Alagiri said on Tuesday.
Gandhi would lend his moral support to farmers protesting against the new farm laws across the country by witnessing the sport at Avaniapuram in Madurai district, he told reporters.
"The bull is a symbol of farmers and part of their lives," the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president said.
His visit is to "honour the farmers and the valorous Tamil culture on the day of harvest festival and he will not engage in the election campaign on that day," he said.
Assembly elections are due during April-May in the state.
"The general public should gather in large numbers for the event."
Billing Gandhi's event as 'Rahulin Tamil Vanakkam,' he said it was also intended to dislodge the 'inept' AIADMK regime, 'subservient' to the Centre.
Only Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his party the AIADMK supported the Central government's three farm laws and no other political party favoured it, he claimed.
Gandhi is scheduled to arrive at Madurai by 11 am on Pongal day and would be spending about four hours in the temple town.
Though there are no other scheduled events like interaction with farmers, such programmes might take place if the leader so desired, Alagiri said.
Gandhi also has no plans to visit the alliance party DMK's president MK Stalin or other leaders, he said.
During his visit to western Tamil Nadu, likely towards the month-end, Gandhi could meet allies, he said adding his party senior leader had a plan to campaign extensively in Tamil Nadu. Priyanka Gandhi would also be invited to the state in the run-up to the polls, he said.
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