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Bharat Jodo Yatra: Row as Rahul skips memorial ceremony
On his way to Thiruvananthapuram, Gandhi was scheduled to visit a private hospital to inaugurate the memorials to freedom fighters K E Mamman and Gopinathan Nair on Sunday. State Congress chief K Sudhakaran apologised to the kin of the two and promised Gandhi will launch the memorials later.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi skipped the inauguration ceremony of a newly-built memorial to two freedom fighters in Kerala’s Neyattinkkara during his ongoing of Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra citing security reasons, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to seek an apology.
“Factory of lies is working overtime. The programme was skipped as per security advice. ...he will visit the memorial soon,” said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. He said the BJP was rattled and that is why it was belittling the yatra.
“This yatra is against inflation, unemployment, and politics of hate...if they want to make issues out of containers, shoes, and shirts, it shows their uneasiness and anger. We have nothing to say about these frivolous charges,” Ramesh said in Thiruvananthapuram.
On his way to Thiruvananthapuram, Gandhi was scheduled to visit a private hospital to inaugurate the memorials to freedom fighters K E Mamman and Gopinathan Nair on Sunday. State Congress chief K Sudhakaran apologised to the relatives of the two and promised Gandhi will launch the memorials later.
BJP state chief K Surendran accused Gandhi of insulting the freedom fighters. “It was on the itinerary and the function was skipped deliberately. Gandhi owes an apology to freedom fighters’ families who were waiting for him.”
BJP leader Amit Malaviya also criticised Gandhi. “He skipped the inauguration of memorial for freedom fighters. Congress leaders including PCC president K Sudhakaran and Shashi Tharoor later filled in. How soon before Rahul quits his yatra?” he tweeted.
“Rahul Gandhi insulted the proud freedom movement of this country on this Azadi ka amurth mahotsav occasion. Let him explain to the country what he gained through this stunt,” said party national general secretary Tarun Chugh in Kochi.
Congress leaders said the BJP was desperate and creating an issue out of a non-issue. “The BJP and Sangh Parivar are researching hard to find reasons and their desperation is quite visible, “said Congress leader Shafi Parambhil.
After keeping silent for many days the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s yatra saying that it will spend 18 days in Kerala but just two days in Uttar Pradesh and posed a question, is it enough to fight the RSS-BJP?
While sharing a graphics the party also asked if the yatra is “Bharat jodo or seat jodo ? “ Party leader M Swaraj dubbed it as a “container yatra” adding the Congress leader will have to spend more days in states where secularism was under threat, not in a state like Kerala which always upheld democratic and secular values.
But the Congress said it expected such a reaction from the “A team of the BJP in Kerala.” “CM Pinarayi Vijayan is Modi in mundu (dhoti). We expected such a comment from the party. It is a silly criticism from the party which is reduced to A team of the BJP in Kerala,” party leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
Meanwhile Gandhi met a delegation headed by Latin Catholic church team headed by vicar general Father Eugine Pereira and apprised him of the ongoing struggle of fishermen against the upcoming transshipment project in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district. Earlier he was planning to visit the protest site but called off due to security reasons. Fishermen are protesting against the port being developed by Adani group for more than a month complaining loss of livelihood and displacement. He also met family members of two fishermen who died last week after their boat capsized. Gandhi also paid tributes at martyr’s column in the state capital.
