Patna, Feb 5 Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Patna on Wednesday to attend the 130th birth anniversary celebrations of Jaglal Chaudhary, a veteran Congress leader and freedom fighter from Bihar.
However, the event took an unexpected turn when Rahul Gandhi mispronounced Jaglal Chaudhary’s name three times, referring to him as ‘Jagat Chaudhary’.
The error initially went unnoticed, but as he repeated it the second time, the audience intervened and corrected him.
Realising his mistake, Rahul Gandhi quickly rectified it and continued his speech.
The event, organised by the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall, was aimed to honour Chaudhary’s contributions to the Indian freedom struggle and his tenure as a four-time minister in the Bihar government.
Despite the Congress’s efforts to organise a large-scale function, the turnout at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall was not attended well.
The hall, which has a seating capacity of around 1,700 people, had some seats reserved for security personnel and media representatives. However, several seats remained vacant, signalling a lack of public enthusiasm.
Adding to further embarrassment, Congress leaders had anticipated an overflow crowd and had arranged a large LED screen outside the hall with chairs placed for attendees who couldn’t get inside. Surprisingly, when Rahul Gandhi began his speech, people were hardly seated in front of the screen.
The contrast between this event and Rahul Gandhi’s January 18 visit was stark. On that occasion, he attended a Constitution Protection Conference organised by NGOs and Muslim organisations at Bapu Sabhagar, Patna’s largest hall with a capacity of 5,000. That event saw a packed audience, with entry restricted through passes, and a crowd gathering outside the venue as well.
While Wednesday's event was meant to showcase Congress's commitment to honour the legacy of its leaders instead it exposed the party’s weaknesses — from poor mobilisation to embarrassing mistakes made by its top leadership.
As Congress strategises for upcoming elections, Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Patna serves as a reminder of the party’s need to rebuild its grassroots presence and reconnect with Bihar’s voters.
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