New Delhi, Dec 24 (UNI) Congress president Mallikaarjun Kharge on Saturday categorically said that the party’s ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’-led by MP Rahul Gandhi was not for any “political gain”, and it raises issues concerning the public. “Bharat Jodo Yatra is not for any political gain. It is to raise voice against issues like inflation and unemployment, and against Chinese incrusions,” the Congress chief said in his address at a programme of the the Bharat Jodo Yatra outside the Red Fort here. On Winter session of Parliament, which concluded on Friday, Kharge said,”We tried our best for a debate on inflation , unemployment and India-China border situation, but the government didn’t allow.”
Recalling former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure, the Congress chief said, “Jawaharlal Nehru had agreed for a discussion on China in Parliament during his tenure. The Congress governments during its regime had never hidden anything to the public. But, this government did not hold any debate in Parliament.” Referring to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s letter to the Congress MP to follow the Covid-19 norms or suspend the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress chief said, “By seeing the massive success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the BJP got scared. Therefore, it has brought Covid excuse.”
He added, “There is no Covid anywhere. This is done to scare people. They are trying trying to break this Yatra. We will not be cowed down. Rahul Gandhi will continue his Yatra.” Kharge who has been accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of divisive politics, said, “There is a government in Delhi which is diving the public and society in the name of religion. Now, it is also snatching the freedom of speech and expression.” Rahul Gandhi, who represents the Wayanad parliamentary constituency, in his address while talking about the Yatra said, “The aim of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is unite India.”
Claiming that there is debate on television everytime on two communities, “The truth is that every common citizen of the country from different communities respect each other. This is the truth of India. This is done to distract the attention of the public from real issues.” “I have not seen any violence and hatred anywhere so far during my Bharat Jodo Yatra. Its only on TV. It is because of hatred our country is suffering,” he added. The former Congress president also mentioned about demonetisation and GST, which he claimed that had devasted the small and medium businesses, contributing to massive unemployment.
“Demonetisation and GST killed small and medium businesses. It was done for whom ? You all know.This is not Narendra Modi’s govt. This is Ambani and Adani’s government,” he said. The Congress MP has been accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring few industrialists since he took over at the Centre. He also accused the PM and the BJP of spending thousands of crores to tarnish his image. “PM and BJP spent thousands of crores to tarnish my image. I have not said anything. Truth can never be hidden, it will be revealed.” Taking a swipe at PM over India-China border situation, the MP said, “China took our 2,000 km of land. But the PM had said nobody entered into our territory. Then, why our army is holding talks.” Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, who participated in the padyatra in the national capital, said, “I am here as an Indian. This is about to connect the glorious leagcy of our past with the bright future that we deserve.”
The Bharat Jodo Yatra reached Delhi on Saturday after traversing through several states across the country. The Yatra which started from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari on September 7, entered into the national capital after the padyatra resumed from NHPC metro station, Faridabad in Haryana early this morning. Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Udaya Bhan handed over the Yatra’s flag to his Delhi counterpart Anil Kumar Chaudhary near the Badarpur metro station on the occasion.The Yatra dubbed as a “massive success “ by the Congress will culminate in Jammu and Kashmir.The party reiterated that the main aim of the yatra is to “unite India’, strengthen the nation, and raise issues affecting the people like price rise, unemployment, inflation and divisive politics.
