New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS): A team from Anna Hazare's Ralegan Siddhi village, here to meet Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, was disappointed at not meeting him and a party MP Tuesday apologised saying it happened due to miscommunication.
Idukki MP P.T. Thomas said: "There was a communication gap in my office and for that I apologise to the sarpanch (village head) and other members coming from Ralegan Siddhi. There is no meeting scheduled for today (Tuesday)."
The team, including social activist Hazare's personal secretary Suresh Pathare and village sarpanch Jaisingh Rao Mapari, reached the capital Monday to meet Gandhi but could not meet him as they did not have an appointment.
But the team said they got a call from Thomas and Gandhi's offices confirming the appointment.
"We got an appointment call from offices of Thomas and Rahul. Rahul's office even asked us details of people who will meet him. That's why we have come. Now we don't feel like meeting Gandhi," Mapari said.
The team will leave Tuesday for Ralegan Siddhi.
Said Pathare: "We have come here without any political motives. When we came here we realised there were a lot of controversies around our visit. There seems to be a lot of ego problems. Now we do not want to meet Gandhi and we are going home now."
"Thomas's office was continuously in touch with us and told us that they have fixed an appointment for 9 a.m. Oct 18," he added.
The meeting was to be facilitated by Thomas.
"When I visited Ralegan Siddhi in September, the sarpanch and the deputy sarpanch expressed their desire to meet Rahul Gandhi. They sent a letter to me Sep 10, requesting to arrange a meeting with Gandhi," he said.
"No meeting was confirmed," he added.