Rahul makes unscheduled stop to meet students

Fatehgarh Sahib, Sep 22 (UNI) All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today made an unscheduled halt to interact with students waving flags at him despite the scorching sun near Bassi Pathana in the district.

Mr Gandhi, on a three-day tour of Punjab to motivate youngsters to join the Congress, signalled his cavalcade to stop near the Bassi Public School on seeing the students who greeted him with slogans of 'Rahul Gandhi Jindabad'.

To the delight of the students, Mr Gandhi disembarked from his vehicle, entered the school and sat in a school room, where he quizzed a class I student Manmohat Singh,''What do you want to be.'' ''I want to join the Air Force,'' pat came the reply, bringing a smile to Mr Gandhi's face, who fondly patted the child.

During his short stay, Mr Gandhi interacted with many students and discussed their studies and exhorted them to always remain ''hungry for knowledge'' and ''fearless.'' '' You must also develop the habit of asking 'why not' to achieve success in life,'' Mr Gandhi stressed.

Later interacting with mediapersons, Mr Gandhi said he was always interested in striking a friendship with children.

He also said he was lucky that he got an opportunity to visit Punjab and meet the people of the state, adding that he could feel the enthusiasm in the youth and believed that his visit was already meeting its objective ''very well.'' ''I want to inspire youths to enroll in Congress in a transparent manner,'' Mr Gandhi said.

Earlier, the spend sometime with Congress workers at Bassi Pathana and Sirhind.

UNI XC JN RR HT1935