The Congress has asked Akhilesh Yadav to come up with a better excuse for not joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra, laughing off the Samajwadi Party leader’s statement that the Congress and the BJP are ideologically the same.

The Yatra is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh on January 3 and travel through Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Kairana and Shamli over three days. On Thursday, in reply to a question, Akhilesh said he had not received an invitation and that the Samajwadi Party supported the Yatra in spirit. Then he said: “Our principles are different.

The Congress and the BJP are one and the same.” Asked about Akhilesh’s remark, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh told The Telegraph: “Laughable. If he can’t or doesn’t want to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he should find better reasons for not joining.”

The Yatra was flagged off from Kanyakumari by DMK leader M.K. Stalin and several Opposition leaders, including Supriya Sule, Aaditya Thackeray and Kanimozhi, have walked with Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders said Akhilesh should have known better than to drag ideology into the debate. “What is this logic?” asked Ajay Kumar Lallu, former president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress unit.

“Rahul Gandhi is walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir against the policies of the Narendra Modi government and he is still being accused of being on the side of the BJP.”

“We know the reason. People know the reason,” Lallu said, adding that Akhilesh cannot fight. “He is not interested in fighting against the BJP. He is frightened. His overriding concern is personal and political comfort. He should not have dragged ideology into it.”

“People of Uttar Pradesh know who fought against the Yogi Adityanath government. No, not Akhilesh. He was not even visible. People rallied behind the Samajwadi Party because they have greater strength than us. But our intention cannot be questioned,” Lallu said, referring to the Assembly elections.

BSP chief Mayawati has expressed support for the Yatra but said she would not be able to join. Indian National Lok Dal president Jayant Chowdhary has said he has previous engagements. He is said to be out of the country at present.

Lallu said: “The Congress tried its best to forge Opposition unity over the last many years but these parties are not honest about their tactics and approach. They are scared of the BJP… jail bhej denge agar Congress ke saath gaye to”.

The general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi, has left no stone unturned to make the Yatra a success in the state. State convener Salman Khurshid is holding meetings to mobilise crowds. The Yatra has drawn huge crowds through its journey, even in a state like Andhra Pradesh where it has a negligible presence and in Delhi, and the leaders are confident of success in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress leadership is aware of its limitations in Uttar Pradesh, a state which decides the shape and nature of national politics, and is contemplating a major public outreach programme after the Yatra. The response to the Yatra will be keenly watched after it resumes from Delhi on January 3 and enters Uttar Pradesh within hours in the morning.