DHAKA: Rahul Gandhi has returned to Delhi after a 57-day sabbatical, which included a course in vipassana or silent meditation.

The Congress vice president arrived by an 11.15am flight from Bangkok and was welcomed at his home by his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi, and sister Priyanka.

In anticipation of his homecoming, several media crew spent the night outside his bungalow in the tree-shaded Tughlaq Lane.

In the morning, a crowd of curious spectators joined them. Some of them were Congress workers, who burst firecrackers to welcome their leader.

The 44-year-old has missed much activity in a politically-charged season, leaving his party to defend a ‘leave of absence’ that has been extended several times, especially at a time the Congress has tried to rally opposition forces against government policies.

On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi is expected to address a massive farmers’ rally against the government’s proposed law to make it easier to acquire land for industrial and key infrastructure projects.

To prep for what is his first major public appearance after return, he will consult with party leaders and farmers tomorrow, reports NDTV.

The Congress has said that its number two leader wanted time off for introspection, and has also vehemently denied reports that he left over differences with his mother over the running of the party.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit suggested recently that the party will not benefit from Sonia Gandhi making way for her son for the top post. Another party leader, Amarinder Singh, said this week that the party’s leadership should remain with Sonia Gandhi as ‘a generational change cannot be made using a knife’.

BDST: 1611 HRS, APR 16, 2015
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