Indian Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be visiting UK on 24-25 August for meetings with the Indian diaspora, politicians and business leaders after his 2-day trip to Germany. Gandhi will be attending a meeting on Friday morning at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), followed by a reception in the Parliament by the Indian Overseas Congress.
Later in the day the Congress President is meant to address an audience at the London School of Economics. The event is being hosted by LSE’s South Asia Centre, chaired by Mukulika Banerjee, which serves as a hub for LSE’s research and academic focus on the region. This event is being held in collaboration with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (UK) and marks the launch of the NISAU ‘India Perspective Townhall’.
This will be followed by an exclusive dinner at the Richmond Town Hall organised by Richmond Mayor Ben Khoser. It will be attended by Lib Dem party leader Dr Vince Cable.
On Saturday 25th, he has a breakfast meeting with Indian Overseas Congress leaders from different regions of the UK, followed by a lunch organised by the Indian Journalists' Association, the only event where Gandhi will be addressing and interacting with the media, followed by a diaspora get together in Ruislip, West London, organised by the Indian Overseas Congress. Gandhi will also be discussing health policy in India with UK professionals at the Royal Society of Medicine on the same day.
Dr Sudhakar & Dr Vinod Metta, along with the Kings & Imperial College Hospitals Doctors Initiative are hosting the health interactive symposium for Gandhi. The event though free to attend is strictly on invite only basis, is organised by UK International Doctors Association, British International Doctors Association, British Medical Association and British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and aimed at medical students, junior doctors, postgraduates, senior academics and researchers from UK & Europe, as well as others interested in healthcare in India. They are meant to announce a certain health policy inititative at the same symposium. He will be accompanied by a few Indian MPs and MLAs as a part of his delegation including Shashi Tharoor. Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda is among the delegates to accompany him.
Among rumours that Gandhi's trip may get cancelled, Pitroda in a press statement said, "Rahul Gandhi's visit to London is on as planned. "The demand for interactions with Rahul Gandhi by institutions and individuals is so high that even if he spends a whole week in London, he may not be able to make everyone happy.” Pitroda also said he was being approached for Gandhi to speak at various events but it was not possible "to meet the huge demand" due to limited time.
The Conservative Friends of India (CFI) however has cancelled their reception for Gandhi in Portcullis House, which has kick started much controversy. This dinner was meant to be hosted on their behalf by Indian-origin entrepreneur Dr Rami Ranger and Conservative peer Baroness Sandip Verma on 24 August.
In the past, Gandhi was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Human Resource Development, and Finance and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Rural Development. Currently, he serves on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Finance & Corporate Affairs. Aside from politics, he serves on the Boards of various not for profit organisations which have created the largest network of self-help groups of poor and marginalized women and the largest provider of affordable eye care in North India and a cancer hospital which fights cancer in India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh. Rahul is a black belt in Aikido and a qualified pilot.
