Rahul Gandhi calls on Muslim Personal Law Board chief at Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow

Lucknow: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi along with senior party leaders on Friday visited Nadwat-ul- Ulema and held a meeting with rector of the world renowned Muslim seminary and President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Syed Rabey Hasan Nadvi. Rahul Gandhi, on tour of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the state assembly elections, was accompanied by party's Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit, party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad and senior party leader Raj Babbar. Though the details of what transpired during the meeting were not made public, sources said the Muslim panel chief brought to Congress leader's notice the ongoing attempt to interfere in the Muslim Personal Law. It is also learnt that the president of the Muslim panel warned the Congress leader against playing "Soft Hindutva" card for political mileage. Eyebrows were earlier raised when Rahul Gandhi visited Ayodhya and offered prayers few hundred meters away from the site where Babri Masjid stood for centuries but were razed to ground by Hindu fanatics in 1992. Rahul Gandhi also visited on Friday Dalit youth hostel at Raidas Mandir to interact with the students before launching his 6-km-long road show in Lucknow. Rahul Gandhi, who is on a 2500-km-long kisan yatra from Deoria to Delhi, reached Lucknow from Rae Bareli, and visited the Cathedral church in Hazratganj and lit a candle and thereafter went to Nadwa to meet the Dalit students. Meanwhile, Congress party sources said that the party is likely to release the first list of party candidates in October. Sources said that the party is upbeat by the response Rahul Gandhi's 'Khat Panchayat' is receiving, and it is why the party is planning to declare the names of candidates well in advance. Source : Ummid.com