Thousands of people, including UDF leaders and workers, turned up on Tuesday at Kalpetta in this border district of Kerala to welcome Rahul Gandhi, who arrived here along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi after his disqualification as an MP.

While hundreds of UDF workers lined up at Kalpetta here for the roadshow called 'Satyameva Jayate' holding the Indian flag, several people across all age groups gathered on the roadside to welcome Gandhi as he travelled to the public meeting venue on a truck accompanied by his sister and senior party leaders from Kerala.

Gandhi arrived here on a helicopter and then travelled to the venue on a truck which had to inch along in view of the thousands, carrying placards of his photograph, who had turned up to show their support for him.

A large number of people were also gathered at the venue of the public meeting to hear him speak.

Gandhi was disqualified as the MP from Wayanad last month after being convicted and sentenced in a criminal defamation case.

He and his sister participated in a roadshow called 'Satyameva Jayate' in Kalpetta where only the national flag was used instead of the party flags.

Senior Congress leaders like AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, Muslim League State President Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, AICC General Secretary Tariq Anwar and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, will also participate in the UDF-organised conference.

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