Rahul protected by ‘satya ka kavach,’ says Priyanka in Loni as Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Ghaziabad

The yatra will cover Mavi Kalan, Sisana and Saroorpur in Baghpat on January 4, and will pass through Elam, Kandhla and Unchagaon in Shamli on January 5

Welcoming Rahul Gandhi and the Bharat Jodo Yatra as it entered Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad from Delhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in Loni on Tuesday that her brother is protected by a ‘Satya ka Kavach’ (shield of truth) and she is not concerned with his safety and security during the long journey.

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. (PTI)

The second leg of the yatra started from Delhi and entered the jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh at 1pm on Tuesday.

“Rahul is wearing ‘satya ka kavach’ and God will protect him. We will protect this country and make it a developed nation...The essence of this yatra is love, compassion and friendship. I am proud of my brother because all effort and money was spent to tarnish his image, but he did not deter and did not leave the path of truth,” Vadra told a gathering in Loni.

Vadra’s comments come days after the party wrote to home minister Amit Shah regarding alleged lapses in Rahul Gandhi’s security arrangements in the Delhi leg of the Kanyakumari to Kashmir mass contact programme, which started in September. In response, the Central Reserve Police Force said Rahul violated security guidelines on multiple occasions.

Vadra said the corporates “purchased” politicians and even the media but they could not win her brother and she was proud of him. “I urge all of you to open franchises of love and harmony in every street, mohalla and roads. Nafrat ke bazaar me mohabbat ki dukaan kholni hai (you should open shops of love in market of hatred). If you don’t do this, divisive politics will prevail and issues of unemployment and rising prices, among others, will never be solved,” Vadra said.

“Only if you all are together you will be able to seek your rights from the government. If you remain divided, your issues of unemployment, price rise and development will never be solved. We will protect this country and make it a developed nation,” she added.

During the event, where the reins and arrangements of the yatra were formally handed over to the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit, Rahul and Priyanka were seen interacting and embracing each other. Senior party leaders like Jairam Ramesh, Pramod Tiwari and Salman Khurshid, among others, were present in Loni.

The entire 18km yatra route on the Delhi-Saharanpur road in Loni was fortified by the Ghaziabad police and at least 1,500-2,000 officers were deployed for the security arrangements. Officers of the Delhi police were also part of the arrangements as Loni shares a porus border with the Capital.

According to Congress functionaries, the yatra will cover Mavi Kalan, Sisana and Saroorpur in Baghpat on January 4, and will pass through Elam, Kandhla and Unchagaon in Shamli on January 5.