As Rahul Gandhi leads the Bharat Jodo Yatra - the Congress’s Kanyakumari to Kashmir mass contact programme - comments are being made by party leaders as well as rivals, which are gathering attention. A day after one of his party colleagues said that he should rather focus on poll-bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh instead of the pad yatra, comments have been made linking Lord Ram to the foot march.
"The foot march that Rahul Gandhi is undertaking would be a historic one. Lord Ram had also traveled to Sri Lanka from Ayodhya on foot. Rahul ji is covering even more distance by walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir," Rajasthan Minister Parsadi Lal Meena is heard saying in a video tweeted by news agency ANI.
"This is a historic march to transform the nation, and to help transform the communal environment in the country,” he added. The Bharat Jodo Yatra - with an eye on the Congress revival and the 2024 national polls - was kicked off in September. Top party leaders - led by Gandhi - aim to cover more than 3,500 km across the country.
Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole clarified that a comparison was not being drawn. "Lord Ram and Shankaracharya had carried out foot marches. Rahul ji is also holding the march and a large number of people are getting connected. There is no comparison being drawn with Lord Ram but their initials begin with the same letter. We don't make such comparisons. The BJP's leaders do that."
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole clarified that a comparison was not being drawn. "Lord Ram and Shankaracharya had carried out foot marches. Rahul ji is also holding the march and a large number of people are getting connected. There is no comparison being drawn with Lord Ram but their initials begin with the same letter. We don't make such comparisons. The BJP's leaders do that."
{{/usCountry}}"God is god, and we are humans. Rahul Gandhi is just working for humanity's sake. I feel Rahul ji's padyatra will save the tricolour and humanity," Patole further added.