Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the ideologies of the RSS and the BJP are spreading violence and hatred in the country.

Addressing a public rally here as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', he said people belonging to different religions and castes are fighting among themselves during the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre.

Gandhi's tour to the state comes a day after the Congress was left high and dry with former ally Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minister, making a return to the BJP-led NDA.

This is his first visit to Bihar since the assembly poll campaign of 2020.

"The ideologies of the RSS and the BJP are spreading violence and hatred in the country. They (RSS and BJP) instigate people to fight among themselves in the name of religion, caste and language.

"Brothers are fighting among themselves….This is the atmosphere they (RSS and BJP) have created in the country. We work to unite the people and want to open a 'Mohabbat Ki Dukan' in 'Nafrat Ka Bazaar'," the Congress MP said.

The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Gandhi entered Bihar through Kishanganj, the party's stronghold, this morning.

State congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and other senior party leaders welcomed him in Kishanganj, a district in the Seemanchal region where Muslims are in majority.

During the padayatra, Congress supporters were seen hailing Gandhi and holding the national flags and those of the party.

Gandhi is scheduled to address a big rally in the adjoining district of Purnea on Tuesday and another one in Katihar a day later, according to Congress legislature party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan.

He will be leaving for West Bengal on Thursday through Araria district and will return to Bihar a few days later via Jharkhand, Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said.

According to leaders of the state Congress, the party's alliance partners in Bihar like RJD president Lalu Prasad and CPI(ML)-L general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya have been invited to the rally at Purnea.

Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president with whom the Congress had shared power till he did a volte-face, was also extended an invitation which had been accepted by the veteran leader, the Congress claimed.