If it is the start of a political innings at Aminabad village of Etawah district, where five members of a Dalit family were murdered recently, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is making sure that he is not far behind Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. Rahul, who arrived at the non-descript village here on Saturday morning to meet the aggrieved Dohre family, tried to outdo the state Chief Minister, who visited the family a day before, in presenting a sympathetic image with his personal touch.

On Wednesday night, five members of the Dohre family were gunned down, while they were fast asleep in their house in the village under Ikdil police station here.

Going a step ahead of Mayawati, Rahul on Saturday morning had a closed room talk with Tripti, a minor girl who is one of the three children who survived the attack on the family. Tripti’s uncle Sarvesh Kumar and aunt Pawan Kumari were also present on the occasion.

Though Rahul did not talk to the media, the aggrieved family told The Sunday Express that the Congress leader had promised financial assistance of Rs 2.50 lakh and educational facilities, including admission to a hostel, to them. After spending over an hour with the family, Rahul also had a talk with village headman Asharam in private. It is believed that he enquired about the incident and law and order situation in the area. Rahul, then, stopped at potato fields in the village and had his breakfast, which consisted of bread, with the local villagers.

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