Rahul Gandhi on Thursday declared that the Congress would not allow the RSS-BJP to divide India and asserted that the Bharat Jodo Yatra would complete its course whatever “excuse”, including Covid, was used to try and stall its progress.
“’Nafrat chhodo, Bharat jodo (Abandon hate, unite India)’ is a nice slogan. But we have to go one step ahead,” Rahul said at a rally in Ghasera, a village in the Muslim-majority Mewat region of Haryana that Mahatma Gandhi had visited during the turmoil of Partition.
Rahul said: “We have to say, ‘Hum todne nahin denge. Chahe jitni koshish kar lo. Todne nahin denge. (We won’t allow India to be divided. No matter how strongly you try, we won’t let you divide India).’ Jodne ki zaroorat hi nahin padegi (Then the need to unite won’t arise).”
Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had requested the Mahatma to visit Mewat to stop an exodus by Muslims to Pakistan, which he did while putting up at Ghasera. Mewat has been the epicentre of communal tension in Haryana with the rise of the BJP, and the Bharat Jodo Yatra has generated much curiosity and hope locally.
Rahul reiterated that the Bharat Jodo Yatra had taught him that Indians didn’t support divisive politics.
“RSS ka, Modi ka nafrat bhara Hindustan nahin chahiye (We don’t want the hatefilled India of the RSS and Modi). I appeal to the people, spread love. The day this country rises together, hate and violence will disappear. That day is not far off,” he said.
“You don’t have to fear anybody, anything. The Bharat Jodo Yatra has shown there is no need to fear. Lakhs of people are walking together and nobody asks what your caste is, what your religion is. They respect each other, support each other.
“This country is not of cowards. Only the RSS-BJP people are cowards. Look at Gandhi, he was the most fearless man. I plead with you, don’t be scared. We will have a government that protects everybody and helps the poor, the farmer, the worker, youth and women.”
Rahul referred to the letter to him from the Union health minister that had suggested the Yatris wear a mask, that only those vaccinated against Covid be allowed to march, and that the marchers stay in isolation before and after the Yatra.
“These are new ideas — excuses to stop the Yatra. Sab bahana hai (It’s all a pretext). They are frightened by the truth, by the power of India,” he said.
Rahul declared that the Yatra would end in Srinagar as scheduled.
Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said that four cases of the new Covid variant had been found in Gujarat and Odisha in July, September and November.
“Today, the Prime Minister has called a meeting on Covid. Understand the chronology. We will reach Delhi on December 24 and the Prime Minister calls an emergency meeting to review the situation. Why the review now when we are about to enter Delhi? This is politics,” he said.
“A serious health issue is used for politicking. Kumbh was allowed at the peak of Covid (in early 2021); Namaste Trump was organised in Ahmedabad (in late February 2020). The imposition of the lockdown was delayed to pull down the Madhya Pradesh government.
“From day one, Covid has been used for politicking. They now want to create an impression that the Congress is irresponsible and is violating Covid norms. The letter written by the health minister was not based on any scientific assessment or advice from experts. There has been no ban on international flights, on imports from China. We will accept scientific protocol but not the political protocol.”
Ramesh said that the BJP governments in various states had tried multiple tricks to disturb the Yatra. “They tried to defame the Yatra with falsehood, innuendos and baseless controversies. But what we encountered here in Haryana was unique,” he said.
“The village (Bhadas) where we stayed in the night suffered a power cut. I asked people why there was no power (even though) Haryana has attained 100 per cent electrification. People said it was unusual to have power cuts for the whole day and night. This is vendetta politics. They can harm us but why make the villagers suffer?”
Party spokesperson Pawan Khera objected to the Covid letter to Rahul. “A flower show is going to be organised in Gujarat where around 1 lakh people are expected every day. A programme called ‘Kankariya Carnival’ is being organised in Gujarat that 3 lakh people will visit every day,” he said.
“From December 15 to January 15, the birth anniversary of Pramukh Swamy is being celebrated and lakhs of people are going there. (A) Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (event) is scheduled in Madhya Pradesh where lakhs of people will come. G20 events are being organised in 20 cities. But only the Bharat Jodo Yatra gets the letter.”
