Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (IANS): The Alappuzha district Congress committee president Babu Prasad on Saturday became poorer by Rs 5,000 when his pocket was picked while he was getting ready to receive Rahul Gandhi leading the Bharat Joda Yatra.

Prasad, a former Congress legislator by virtue of being the DCC president was in the forefront to receive the yatra when it entered the Alappuzha district crossing over from Kollam district on Saturday morning.

Incidentally, a similar thing was reported when the Gandhi-led yatra had entered Thiruvananthapuram district from neighbouring Tamil Nadu state at Nemom on the 12th of this month.

It was later identified from CCTV visuals that there were three pick pockets, all from Tamil Nadu.

Now at Alappuzha, the Congress party is trying to see if there are any CCTV visuals.

This yatra has evoked a huge response ever since it entered Kerala border on the 11th of this month. There are close to around 5,000 people in the morning session of the yatra, while in the evening, participation swells to around over 20,000.