Bad Weather Delays Priyanka Gandhi’s Devri School Visit, Students Await Promised Return
The much-awaited visit of Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi to Devri in Mandi district has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions, according to party sources.
Priyanka Gandhi was scheduled to visit the newly rebuilt government school in Devri, located in the Darang Assembly constituency, on Tuesday. The visit held special significance for local residents and students, as it was linked to a promise she had made nearly three years ago in the aftermath of the devastating 2023 flash floods.
A Promise Made After Tragedy
The Devri school building had suffered extensive damage during the monsoon disaster that struck Himachal Pradesh in 2023. During her visit to the affected area at the time, Priyanka Gandhi met students and local families and assured them that the school would be rebuilt. She had also promised to return once the new building was ready.
With the reconstruction work now complete, her visit was expected to fulfill that commitment and offer students an opportunity to interact with her in person.
Planned as a Non-Political Visit
Congress sources maintained that the programme was intended solely as an interaction with students and the inauguration of the new school building. Priyanka Gandhi had reportedly made it clear that the visit was not meant to be a political event.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also reiterated on Monday that the programme was a private visit focused on the school and its students rather than political activities.
School Inauguration Has Seen Earlier Delays
Interestingly, this is not the first time the inauguration of the new school building has been postponed. Earlier, Education Minister Rohit Thakur had planned to inaugurate the facility, but that programme was also called off at the last moment.
As a result, students and local residents continue to wait for the formal opening of the school that has become a symbol of recovery and resilience after the floods.
Political Sparring Continues
Despite assertions that the visit was non-political, the proposed programme sparked political reactions. Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur criticised the visit, alleging that the state government was spending large amounts of public money to please the Congress leader.
The Congress, however, has maintained that the visit was connected to Priyanka Gandhi’s commitment to the students of Devri and her desire to personally see the rebuilt school.
For now, weather has forced a change of plans, but many students in Devri remain hopeful that Priyanka Gandhi will soon return to fulfil the promise she made during one of the most difficult periods in their community’s recent history.
