Chennai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at his residence in Neelankarai, party sources said.
The two leaders held discussions on several political issues for about an hour before reportedly visiting a nearby cafe owned by a noted cricketer. Gandhi later proceeded to a hotel in the city.
In the evening, Gandhi was scheduled to attend the student outreach programme, Chhatron Ki Goonj (Maanavargalin Kural), at Chennai's Island Grounds.
The Chennai event is the sixth leg of the nationwide campaign launched by the Congress on June 17 in Kota, Rajasthan, to interact with students and understand the challenges they face. The programme subsequently travelled to Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
During the Indore event last month, Gandhi said the initiative aimed to restore the hope students had lost in the education system.
The Chennai programme is expected to address issues including education, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), unemployment and rising education costs. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore said between 10,000 and 20,000 students were expected to attend.
According to a police official, entry to the event will be restricted to QR code holders, with separate entry corridors for men and women. The general public will not be allowed to attend, as authorities seek to maintain law and order.