NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday slammed the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra as politically motivated, saying “hatemongers” who worked continuously to divide the nation and society took part in the march whose aim was to save the Congress’ position as the main opposition party.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, concluded in Srinagar on Monday, with Rahul Gandhi hoisting the tricolours in Jammu and kashmir.
“Today if Rahul Gandhi is succeeding in hoisting the flag in Kashmir it is only because our founder (Syama Prasad Mookerjee) sacrificed his life and our prime minister (Narendra Modi) made Kashmir an integral part of India in 2019,” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, he questioned the credentials of several yatris who walked with Gandhi during various legs of the march.
“If you look at the yatra…it was a politically motivated but totally unsuccessful Yatra. It could not achieve its target of establishing someone in the political landscape of the country,” Trivedi said, taking a dig at Gandhi.
He further said while the BJP is working to make ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’, “this yatra again showcased hate and hatemongers who have worked for dividing the country”.
“It is an irony that the Congress which divided the country and society for sake of votes, is talking about uniting the nation,” Trivedi said. The BJP leader claimed Congress leaders had a “beef party” on the roads of Kerala during the yatra, and Pastor George Ponniah who termed the land of India as impure also participated in march.
He said the Gandhi’s permanent co-travellers included Kanhaiya Kumar who was “associated with the tukde-tukde gang”, and Digvijay Singh who raised questions over the surgical strike. “With these hatemongers what campaign of love of Rahul Gandhi is running?” Trivedi alleged the entire exercise was an attempt to save the Congress’ status as the main opposition party establish Rahul Gandhi as the main opposition leader.
The march failed in its endeavours miserably as several opposition leaders gave a miss to the concluding ceremony of yatra, he said. (PTI)
