Will the real RaGa stand up???
This could have been the story of two Rahul Gandhis. And to be more precise, two aggrieved, forelorn Rahul Gandhis -- Congress leader, and erstwhile party president, RaGa and his namesake from the quaint town of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Point in reference: the Gandhi scion has had his share of challenges when it comes to having the mention of "dynasty" in his name (read: allegations of dynasty politics).
And the Indore man too has been facing a tangentially different set of issues -- so much so that he now wants to drop the surname altogether.
But this is the story of the man who wants to drop the dynasty from his name -- the RaGa namesake from Indore.
In his words, he is fed up with the difficulties he has to encounter while convincing others he is not a "fake" person.
"I have a Aadhaar card as the only document of my identity. When I furnish a copy of this document to purchase a mobile SIM card or for any other work, people consider me a fake person because of my name...they look at me with suspicion," Rahul, a resident of Akhand Nagar, tells PTI.
He rues: "When I introduce myself to unknown people over phone, many of them abruptly hang up asking how did Rahul Gandhi come to live in Indore? They consider me a fake caller."
But what on earth led to his parents naming him "Rahul Gandhi"?
He answers: "The top officials of the BSF used to address my father late Rajesh Malviya, who had worked as a washerman in the paramilitary force, as 'Gandhi'. Gradually, my father also developed an attachment to Gandhi surname and adopted it. My name was enrolled as Rahul Gandhi instead of Rahul Malviya when I was admitted to school."
Rahul, a class five dropout, says he has nothing to do with party politics but has been facing difficulties because of his title.
Aah! Tough call.
"I am now considering changing my surname through legal process," he signs off.
