Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with Mohammed Deepak was canceled due to inclement weather affecting flight operations

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday canceled his scheduled visit to Almora and Puri Garhwal in Uttarakhand after his helicopter encountered harsh weather conditions and expressed disappointment at not being able to meet people to share his vision for the future of the state, where elections are scheduled to be held next year.

He was forced to return to Pantnagar airport.

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha later shared a video message and a written statement on X, in which he expressed his condolences to the people of the state.

“This morning I reached Pantnagar. From there, we were scheduled to go to Almora by helicopter to attend a public meeting, but due to bad weather conditions, the pilot flatly refused to take off,” Gandhi said.

He said that he wanted to discuss the current situation in Uttarakhand, its economic and social issues and the challenges facing the state. His itinerary also included a meeting with ex-servicemen in Puri Garhwal and a visit to a gym in Kotdwar with its owner Deepak Kumar. He addressed both the Almora Caucus and the ex-servicemen virtually.

“We are all humble before nature and there can be no compromise on the safety of other passengers. Sometimes conditions are not according to our wishes, but that does not diminish the desire to meet and communicate with you,” Gandhi wrote, promising to return soon for a detailed visit.

In his video message shared after the cancellation, Gandhi expressed his disappointment at not being able to interact with people. He stated that he intended to discuss the current political and economic situation in Uttarakhand and also share his vision for the future of the state. The Congress leader assured the audience that the visit would be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Although much of his speech on the phone was not clearly audible, Gandhi apologized to the gathering for his absence and aimed to absolve the judge.

Addressing the audience, he alleged that the vision behind the creation of Uttarakhand has been undermined. He said the people of the state envisioned a future in which they retained the right to self-determination rather than being ruled by external forces.

“The Constitution stipulates that India, i.e. Bharat, is a union of states. You have made enormous sacrifices to form this state. Unfortunately, the state of Uttarakhand is not run by its own people today; it is run via remote control from Delhi,” he said.

He further alleged that outsiders are exploiting the state’s natural resources, depriving the locals of the benefits.

First, he claimed that household savings and gold held by the public had diminished.

Secondly, it was stated that small and medium enterprises, especially in the textile and food processing sectors, have been devastated by the flawed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Third, the Congress leader criticized the current foreign policy consensus, claiming that India’s energy security is now constrained by external geopolitical pressures.

He added: “Today, we can only buy oil from countries approved by America. This crucial protection has been dismantled by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.”

Gandhi referred to geopolitical tensions, noting that during the conflict between Iran and the United States, the Strait of Hormuz was later closed.

Finally, he claimed that the agricultural protection system for farmers had been weakened, alleging that the Prime Minister was “promoting external interests rather than national priorities”.

The public meeting, held with the upcoming Assembly elections in mind, was attended by several senior leaders of the state, including Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Yashpal Arya and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

Gandhi arrived in Uttarakhand this morning on a two-day visit to travel through Garhwal and Kumaon districts to address public rallies, meet party workers and interact with families of former soldiers.