Addressing a gathering at Nuh on the second day of the Haryana leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Thursday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said they had to set out on this journey since they were not being heard inside Parliament.
He also accused the government of finding excuses to stop the Yatra.
Speaking at the historic Ghasera village, visited by Mahatama Gandhi on December 19, 1947, to convince the local Meo Muslim population to not migrate to Pakistan, Mr. Gandhi said Congress wanted to speak about the Rafale deal, demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax and the politics of hatred inside Parliament, but the mics were switched off and the cameras were turned towards the Speaker. “No one could hear anything. So we started the Yatra,” said Mr. Gandhi, in his 20-minute speech.
Touching upon the recent controversy over Union Health Minister’s letter to suspend the Yatra in view of the emerging COVID situation, Mr. Gandhi said that those in power were intimidated by the “strength” and “truth” of India on display during the Yatra and were now making excuses to stop it.
Modi criticised
In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Gandhi, referring to the year-long farmers’ movement, said Mr. Modi could not face challenge and would just turn around and run away.
“Try to understand the character of Mr. Modi. As soon as someone stands up against him, be it the farmers, he turns around and runs away,” he quipped.
Mr. Gandhi added that the Rashtriya Swaymasevak Sangh spread hatred, but feared the people of this country, the poor, the farmers and the workers.
Mr. Gandhi said the Yatra had proved that the people of this country were not intimidated by anyone. “The entire country will stand united one day and all this violence and hatred would end. And this day is not far-off,” stressed Mr. Gandhi, amid applause.
He added that they would not allow anyone to divide the country.
Earlier, Congress general-secretary and communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, in a press conference, said the meetings called by Mr. Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to review the COVID situation was plain “politics” to stop them from entering Delhi on December 24.
He said the party would adhere to any protocol based on the opinion of the medical experts, but not the “political protocol” and warned the government not to play politics on an important public health issue.
Mr. Ramesh accused the Haryana government of cutting power to Nuh’s Bhadas village near night camp site of the yatra and putting up barricades to stop people from joining it.