Congress leader Rahul Gandhi - leading the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' - on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of 'making excuses' to stop his mass outreach campaign. The Kerala MP said the ruling party had become wary of the growing power of his pan-India foot march and of 'India's truth', and that 'excuses' - like the Covid-19 warning - were being used to stop him. "... it is their (BJP) new idea... they wrote a letter to me saying Covid is coming and (to) stop the Yatra. All these are excuses to stop this yatra... they are scared of India's truth," he said.
Earlier this week union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote to Gandhi and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot (the yatra was then in the Congress-ruled state) and urged them to either ensure Covid protocols are followed or cancel the march. The letter promptly snowballed into a major political row and spawned a back-and-forth between the parties.
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Mandaviya on Tuesday spoke about his letter and said it was 'not political'. "It's not political at all. I am the health minister and have to take care of this... requirement (is) to follow Covid-19 rules," he said, pointing out that Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had tested positive after attending the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
"Three (Rajasthan) MPs wrote to me about their concern," the health minister said, although he did not name the 'concerned' lawmakers. "Congress leaders like the Himachal CM turned positive after participating in the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'."
{{/usCountry}}"Three (Rajasthan) MPs wrote to me about their concern," the health minister said, although he did not name the 'concerned' lawmakers. "Congress leaders like the Himachal CM turned positive after participating in the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'."
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the Congress' Pawan Khera on Thursday countered the letter. "People will go to PM Modi's rally... people will go to Kankaria Carnival... people will go to the flower show... people will go to Pravasi Bharatiya Divas... people will go to G-20... ... but only 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is bothering the PM," he said.
Mandaviya defended his letter saying he had taken experts' views before writing to Gandhi and Gehlot to ask them to follow Covid-19 protocols.
The 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', which is scheduled to enter national capital Delhi on Sunday - left Rajasthan this week and entered BJP-ruled Haryana through Nuh. It began in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari in September and will end in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir next year.