<p class="title">Scores of priests of the local Shiva temples will welcome Congress president Rahul Gandhi when he arrives in his Lok Sabha constituency of Amethi on a two-day visit on Monday, his first after visiting Kailash Mansarovar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to Congress leaders, a special 'tilak' (a red mark on the forehead) function would be held near Fursatganj at which Rahul would be "hailed" as a "Shiv Bhakt" (devotee of Lord Shiva).</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A large number of priests of Shiva Temples in Amethi had requested the party to organise such a function...they wanted to welcome Rahulji as a Shiv Bhakt," said a senior Congress leader in Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress sources said that hoardings hailing Rahul as a "Shiva devotee" would be put up at all the places, where the Congress president would visit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Rahulji will be greeted with the chants of Bum-Bum Bhole (a slogan used by the devotees of Lord Shiva) at his meetings in Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Rahulji is a true Shiv Bhakt....he visited Kailash Mansarovar, a place revered by the devotees of Lord Shiva across the world," the leader told DH from Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said that the Congress president, who would be meeting local leaders and launch several developmental projects, was also likely to pay obeisance at a few well-known temples during his two-day visit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rahul has been pushing his 'Soft Hindutva' agenda in an apparent bid to blunt the BJP charge that the Congress essentially was a "pro-Muslim" party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress president had visited several temples during the campaigning in Gujarat assembly polls last year.</p>
<p class="title">Scores of priests of the local Shiva temples will welcome Congress president Rahul Gandhi when he arrives in his Lok Sabha constituency of Amethi on a two-day visit on Monday, his first after visiting Kailash Mansarovar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to Congress leaders, a special 'tilak' (a red mark on the forehead) function would be held near Fursatganj at which Rahul would be "hailed" as a "Shiv Bhakt" (devotee of Lord Shiva).</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A large number of priests of Shiva Temples in Amethi had requested the party to organise such a function...they wanted to welcome Rahulji as a Shiv Bhakt," said a senior Congress leader in Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Congress sources said that hoardings hailing Rahul as a "Shiva devotee" would be put up at all the places, where the Congress president would visit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Rahulji will be greeted with the chants of Bum-Bum Bhole (a slogan used by the devotees of Lord Shiva) at his meetings in Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Rahulji is a true Shiv Bhakt....he visited Kailash Mansarovar, a place revered by the devotees of Lord Shiva across the world," the leader told DH from Amethi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said that the Congress president, who would be meeting local leaders and launch several developmental projects, was also likely to pay obeisance at a few well-known temples during his two-day visit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rahul has been pushing his 'Soft Hindutva' agenda in an apparent bid to blunt the BJP charge that the Congress essentially was a "pro-Muslim" party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress president had visited several temples during the campaigning in Gujarat assembly polls last year.</p>