Rahul Gandhi today stared his Yatra from Jhalawar district of Rajasthan. He was flanked by CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot- who recently came together in a show of unity before Gandhi entered the state.
While most of the media in the country are busy in getting minute to minute details of Gujarat assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra today started its Rajasthan leg amidst the continued cold war between CM Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
Pointing at the lack of media attention paid to the Yatra, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot today said, “It is my allegation that editors have boycotted the yatra. Lakhs are joining the campaign. Will you not show such a huge campaign?”
While giving media a lesson on its national duty, the CM continued, “It is the duty of the media to show it. Rahul Gandhi's positive yatra, positive thinking...there is no violence. If you don't show such a yatra, then you are failing in your duty to the nation.”
He also added that the history wouldn’t forgive such media and asked them to go back to their ‘high commands’ for rectifying their steps.
After completing his Madhya Pradesh leg of Yatra, Rahul Gandhi flanked by both Gehlot and Pilot today started its 89th day from Jhalawar district in Rajasthan. He was also joined by AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra, senior leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.
As per the reports, Gandhi met dozens of children in his way. The official Twitter handle of Rajasthan Congress while sharing the Yatra’s photos noted, “Rajasthan has created history in the very first day.”
In a tweet in Hindi, while sharing his photo with Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot said, “Bharat Yatra is moving toward fulfilling the aspirations and expectations of the youths. It is a step toward fulfilling the dreams of young India.”
CM Ashok Gehlot in his twitter shared a video where he showed how people from UAE even have come to join the Yatra. Rajasthan is notably the only Congress state where the yatra has entered and will cover about 500 km passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts over 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.
Gandhi has a scheduled plan to meet farmers at Lalsot in Dausa on December 15. The Yatra will culminate at a massive rally at Malakheda in Alwar on December 19 where Gandhi will address the people.
While the arrangement for the Yatra was going on high decibel, BJP president Satish Poonia said that he would ask Gandhi what gift he is bringing for farmers in Rajasthan as their early promise of waiving off loans has not been fulfilled.
“The loan was not waived off, but the lands of thousands of farmers were auctioned and many farmers committed suicide. Will you bring any gift for the farmers of Rajasthan?” Poonia asked.
He also added that this is the first question to Gandhi and his questions will be continued throughout the 18 days- the period when Gandhi’s Yatra will pass through the state.
BJP national secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Vijaya Rahatkar also slammed Gandhi and said, “The Congress government pretends to be a well-wisher of the farmers. For the last four years, the farmers of the state are suffering due to loans, shortage of fertilizers, urea, lack of electricity supply, non-purchase of crops on MSP.”
She also accused the Rajasthan government of discontinuing the pro-farmer schemes of the earlier BJP governments.
Bharat Jodo Yatra, a pet project of Rahul Gandhi to revive Congress started its journey on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and covered five southern states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana apart from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February 2023, covering 3,570 km in 150 days.