Not a big fan of 10 Janpath, Rahul Gandhi tells nephew, reveals why

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday released a video on India’s “unsung Diwali heroes”, in which he told his nephew Raihan Rajiv Vadra that he didn’t like the residence at 10, Janpath, in New Delhi. In the video, a part of the video was shot at 10, Janpath, Rahul Gandhi also reveals the reason behind his dislike.
In the Diwali video, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is seen interacting with a group of painters working at the bungalow at 10, Janpath, his mother Sonia Gandhi’s residence, in New Delhi. He is also seen visiting a family of potters in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar.
In the video, he is seen explaining to Raihan, son of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra, how we often miss the people who brighten our Diwali. Their skills and hard work often go unnoticed and unappreciated, he tells his 24-year-old nephew.
Rahul Gandhi shared the video with the caption, “A Diwali with the people whose hardwork helps India shine”.
In the 9-minute video, Rahul Gandhi is seen trying to help out the painters and workers engaged in repair and painting at 10, Janpath. He even shares tea with them.
While talking about the address, 10, Janpath, to Raihan, Rahul Gandhi says, “I am not a big fan of this house”.
He then, while scraping the old paint, goes on to explain why.
“My father died [while living] here, so,” adds Rahul.
The 10, Janpath has been the residence of Rahul’s mother, Sonia Gandhi, since 1989. Adjoining the residence to the east is the 24, Akbar Road, which serves as the headquarters of the Indian National Congress. Both compounds are interconnected.
It was after he shifted to 10, Janpath with his family, that Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by terrorists of the banned Sri Lankan- based Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1991.
Rahul moved into the 10, Janpath, following his disqualification as a Member of Parliament due to his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ defamation case in March 2023. He had to vacate the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow, where he had been living since becoming an MP.
Even after his disqualification was overturned in August 2023, Rahul Gandhi continued living at the 10, Janpath residence.
Before Rahul Gandhi could delve more into the painful time, Raihan put another question to the Congress leader about his childhood.
“Did you ever do Diwali in school?,” he asks.
“Yes, of course. Diwali in school was fun,” replies Rahul with a smile.
“We used to shoot rockets at each other, throw bombs at each other, literally. I was the mastermind of that stuff,” he recalls.
Rahul Gandhi attended New Delhi’s St Columba’s School for primary education, before being sent to The Doon School in Dehradun. It was the same school Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi went to.