Sudhanshu Kashyap May 26, 2010 at 10:12 PM

Bill Gates visited India with Rahul Gandhi

Microsoft chief Bill Gates and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived here Tuesday for a day-long visit aimed at giving the global philanthropist a glimpse of social development work in the two 'Gandhi constituencies' of Rae Bareli and Amethi. While Rae Bareli is Congress president Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency, her son Rahul represents Amethi. Gates and Rahul Gandhi, both dressed in white, flew in a chartered aircraft from New Delhi and landed at the Indira Gandhi Flying Academy in Fursatganj town, about 10 km from here, in Rae Bareli. They drove down to Jais, named after famous Sufi poet Malik Mohammad Jaisi, where Gates, accompanied by an entourage of eight, and Gandhi visited the Rajiv Gandhi Women's Training Centre run by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. There was heavy security as the group interacted with about 300 women actively associated with the women's self help groups formed here with Gandhi's personal initiative. While Gandhi and Gates were driven inside the tall gates at the centre, the rest of their entourage followed them on foot after disembarking outside. More than 100 police personnel were detailed to provide security cover from outside while Gandhi and Gates also had their own personal guards to maintain the inner ring around them. Gandhi, who chose to keep the Gates visit a closely guarded secret, completely shunned the media as well as party workers. Even state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi learnt about the visit through the media.