Tag: Bharat-Jodo Yatra

  • Impact of Bharat Jodo Yatra already being felt: Congress’ dig at PM’s visit to 4 southern states

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress took a dig on Friday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to four southern states, saying the impact of the opposition party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is already being felt, but no antics can match the connection established with people by walking with and listening to them.

    Modi is on a two-day visit to the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from Friday, during which he would attend several events and launch development initiatives.

    Taking a dig at his visit, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the foot march taken out by the party from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, is already being felt.

    It combines yearning and learning for sure https://t.co/SAWONcNbVc
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 11, 2022
    “PM is now on a 2-day visit of 4 South Indian states that the Yatra has been through. There will undoubtedly be big photo-ops for camera-jeevi. But no antics can match the connect from walking with and LISTENING to the people,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

    The impact of #BharatJodoYatra is already being felt. PM is now on a 2-day visit of 4 South Indian states that the Yatra has been through. There will undoubtedly be big photo-ops for camera-jeevi. But no antics can match the connect from walking with & LISTENING to the people.
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 11, 2022
    Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, along with other party leaders and workers, embarked on the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanniyakumari on September 7.

    The yatra has traversed through Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and is currently in Maharashtra.

    NEW DELHI: The Congress took a dig on Friday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to four southern states, saying the impact of the opposition party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is already being felt, but no antics can match the connection established with people by walking with and listening to them.

    Modi is on a two-day visit to the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from Friday, during which he would attend several events and launch development initiatives.

    Taking a dig at his visit, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the foot march taken out by the party from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, is already being felt.

    It combines yearning and learning for sure https://t.co/SAWONcNbVc
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 11, 2022
    “PM is now on a 2-day visit of 4 South Indian states that the Yatra has been through. There will undoubtedly be big photo-ops for camera-jeevi. But no antics can match the connect from walking with and LISTENING to the people,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

    The impact of #BharatJodoYatra is already being felt. PM is now on a 2-day visit of 4 South Indian states that the Yatra has been through. There will undoubtedly be big photo-ops for camera-jeevi. But no antics can match the connect from walking with & LISTENING to the people.
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 11, 2022
    Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, along with other party leaders and workers, embarked on the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanniyakumari on September 7.

    The yatra has traversed through Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and is currently in Maharashtra.

  • Aaditya takes part in Bharat Jodo Yatra, marches along with Rahul in Maha’s Hingoli

    By PTI

    HINGOLI: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray joined the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra at Kalamnuri in Hingoli, where the march arrived during the day from neighbouring Nanded district, and walked along Rahul Gandhi.

    was joined by party colleagues Ambadas Danve, who is the leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Council, and former MLA Sachin Ahir.

    They walked along Gandhi, who is leading the cross-country foot march which has entered the 65th day. The Congress MP from Kerala and Aaditya Thackeray waved to people assembled along the route.

    Flowers were showered on the participants in Seni village in Nanded’s Ardhapur taluka, with the march entering the Hingoli district at Choramba Phata.

    In Hingoli, a group of people who arrived to cheer the march, including a large number of women and children, even brought an elephant along.

    भारत जोड़ो यात्रा में शामिल हुए आदित्य ठाकरे.. pic.twitter.com/dpXy1iJvfy
    — Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) November 11, 2022
    Among those who stood along the route and shouted slogans in support of the march and sought implementation of ‘One Rank One Pension’ (ORO) were 22 former servicemen.

    “We feel the Congress can fulfil this demand (OROP),” said former Army man Sahebrao Hone.

    Gandhi interacted with people along the route of the march. On Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party leaders Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad had taken part in the march.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with NCP leader Supriya Sule and Bollywood actor Sushant Singh during Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Nanded district, Maharashtra, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022 | PTI

    While NCP chief Sharad Pawar was invited to join the yatra, he could not participate due to ill health.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has been also invited to take part in the march during its Maharashtra leg.

    HINGOLI: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray joined the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra at Kalamnuri in Hingoli, where the march arrived during the day from neighbouring Nanded district, and walked along Rahul Gandhi.

    was joined by party colleagues Ambadas Danve, who is the leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Council, and former MLA Sachin Ahir.

    They walked along Gandhi, who is leading the cross-country foot march which has entered the 65th day. The Congress MP from Kerala and Aaditya Thackeray waved to people assembled along the route.

    Flowers were showered on the participants in Seni village in Nanded’s Ardhapur taluka, with the march entering the Hingoli district at Choramba Phata.

    In Hingoli, a group of people who arrived to cheer the march, including a large number of women and children, even brought an elephant along.

    भारत जोड़ो यात्रा में शामिल हुए आदित्य ठाकरे.. pic.twitter.com/dpXy1iJvfy
    — Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) November 11, 2022
    Among those who stood along the route and shouted slogans in support of the march and sought implementation of ‘One Rank One Pension’ (ORO) were 22 former servicemen.

    “We feel the Congress can fulfil this demand (OROP),” said former Army man Sahebrao Hone.

    Gandhi interacted with people along the route of the march. On Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party leaders Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad had taken part in the march.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with NCP leader Supriya Sule and Bollywood actor Sushant Singh during Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Nanded district, Maharashtra, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022 | PTI

    While NCP chief Sharad Pawar was invited to join the yatra, he could not participate due to ill health.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has been also invited to take part in the march during its Maharashtra leg.

  • Rahul can challenge Modi in 2024, but common face will be decided by opposition parties: Gehlot

    Gehlot, a senior Congress observer for the Gujarat Assembly elections, said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is misleading the people, asserting that Congress will perform well in the western state.

  • Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi visits gurdwara, resumes march

    By PTI

    DEGLUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited a gurdwara in Nanded district of Maharashtra before resuming his Bharat Jodo Yatra foot march on Tuesday.

    The Congress MP visited Gurdwara Yaadgari Baba Zoravar Singh ji Fateh Singh ji on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti a few hours after the yatra entered Maharashtra Monday night from Telangana.

    At the gurdwara, Gandhi prayed for harmony and equality, the party tweeted.

    On Tuesday morning, the march will proceed from the gurdwara to Atkali in Biloli district of Nanded.

    Gandhi is scheduled to halt at Godavari Manar Sugar Factory ground in Biloli for night stay, a party functionary said.

    Small and medium businesses suffered due to the Centre’s wrong policies like demonetisation and poor implementation of the Goods and Service Tax, Gandhi said Monday night as he entered Maharashtra holding a ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal).

    Gandhi said during his stay in Maharashtra over the next 15 days, he will listen to the voice of the state and also its pain and asserted no force can stop his 61-day-old yatra that began on September 7 from Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and will culminate in Srinagar.

    The 3,570-km-long yatra led by the Congress MP reached Deglur in central Maharashtra’s Nanded district from neighbouring Telangana.

    During his stay in the state, Gandhi will address two rallies as part of the cross-country march aimed at reviving the party.

    Gandhi said the march started two months back from Kanniyakumari and it will stop only at Srinagar after hoisting the tricolour.

    “No force can stop this yatra,” asserted the former Congress president, whose party was a strong political force in Maharashtra for several decades and was a constituent of the three-party ruling coalition till June this year.

    Gandhi said the aim of the yatra is to bind the country together and highlighted major issues before the country.

    “The reality of India is that the country cannot give employment to its youth, even if it is willing. On one hand there is unemployment, on the other hand there is inflation,” he said, attacking the Modi government.

    The Congress MP said the main aim of his cross-country foot march is to raise voice against hatred, anger and violence that is being spread.

    Gandhi will address two rallies during his yatra in Maharashtra – the first on November 10 in Nanded district and on November 18 at Shegaon in Buldhana district.

    The march led by the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP will traverse through 15 Assembly and 6 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra during its sojourn.

    It will cover a distance of 382 kms across five districts before entering Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

    The yatra will proceed through Nanded district for four days and enter Hingoli district on November 11, Washim on November 15, Akola on November 16 and Buldhana on November 18, according to the schedule.

    The Congress has invited Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, both allies of the party, to take part in the foot march.

    Pawar had earlier said he would join the yatra.

    However, senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan has said the participation of Pawar in the yatra in Maharashtra will depend on his health condition.

    Pawar (81) was recently hospitalised in Mumbai for fever and other health issues. The NCP chief on Saturday flew to Shirdi from Mumbai with doctors and addressed a party convention briefly in the temple town in Ahmednagar district.

    Sachin Ahir, a legislator of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, said former minister Aaditya Thackeray may join the Maharashtra leg of the 150-day-long yatra.

    DEGLUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited a gurdwara in Nanded district of Maharashtra before resuming his Bharat Jodo Yatra foot march on Tuesday.

    The Congress MP visited Gurdwara Yaadgari Baba Zoravar Singh ji Fateh Singh ji on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti a few hours after the yatra entered Maharashtra Monday night from Telangana.

    At the gurdwara, Gandhi prayed for harmony and equality, the party tweeted.

    On Tuesday morning, the march will proceed from the gurdwara to Atkali in Biloli district of Nanded.

    Gandhi is scheduled to halt at Godavari Manar Sugar Factory ground in Biloli for night stay, a party functionary said.

    Small and medium businesses suffered due to the Centre’s wrong policies like demonetisation and poor implementation of the Goods and Service Tax, Gandhi said Monday night as he entered Maharashtra holding a ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal).

    Gandhi said during his stay in Maharashtra over the next 15 days, he will listen to the voice of the state and also its pain and asserted no force can stop his 61-day-old yatra that began on September 7 from Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and will culminate in Srinagar.

    The 3,570-km-long yatra led by the Congress MP reached Deglur in central Maharashtra’s Nanded district from neighbouring Telangana.

    During his stay in the state, Gandhi will address two rallies as part of the cross-country march aimed at reviving the party.

    Gandhi said the march started two months back from Kanniyakumari and it will stop only at Srinagar after hoisting the tricolour.

    “No force can stop this yatra,” asserted the former Congress president, whose party was a strong political force in Maharashtra for several decades and was a constituent of the three-party ruling coalition till June this year.

    Gandhi said the aim of the yatra is to bind the country together and highlighted major issues before the country.

    “The reality of India is that the country cannot give employment to its youth, even if it is willing. On one hand there is unemployment, on the other hand there is inflation,” he said, attacking the Modi government.

    The Congress MP said the main aim of his cross-country foot march is to raise voice against hatred, anger and violence that is being spread.

    Gandhi will address two rallies during his yatra in Maharashtra – the first on November 10 in Nanded district and on November 18 at Shegaon in Buldhana district.

    The march led by the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP will traverse through 15 Assembly and 6 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra during its sojourn.

    It will cover a distance of 382 kms across five districts before entering Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

    The yatra will proceed through Nanded district for four days and enter Hingoli district on November 11, Washim on November 15, Akola on November 16 and Buldhana on November 18, according to the schedule.

    The Congress has invited Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, both allies of the party, to take part in the foot march.

    Pawar had earlier said he would join the yatra.

    However, senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan has said the participation of Pawar in the yatra in Maharashtra will depend on his health condition.

    Pawar (81) was recently hospitalised in Mumbai for fever and other health issues. The NCP chief on Saturday flew to Shirdi from Mumbai with doctors and addressed a party convention briefly in the temple town in Ahmednagar district.

    Sachin Ahir, a legislator of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, said former minister Aaditya Thackeray may join the Maharashtra leg of the 150-day-long yatra.

  • Bharat Jodo Yatra will proceed to Srinagar, come what may, says Rahul Gandhi 

    By PTI

    DEGLUR: The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began two months ago, will culminate in Srinagar as scheduled irrespective of any hurdles in the way, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday night, after his march entered Maharashtra from Telangana.

    “The objective of the yatra is to connect (people of) India and to raise voice against division and hatred being sown in the country,” Gandhi said, addressing supporters at Deglur after the Yatra entered the state.

    No force can stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra in between, he said.

    “The yatra will only stop in Srinagar,” he added.

    “Be it farmers or labourers, senior citizens, youth or traders, our doors and hearts are open to all,” he said.

    “We want to hear the voice and pain of Maharashtra,” he added.

    Gandhi said unemployment in India is increasing, and blamed PM Narendra Modi’s policies like demonetisation for the ills afflicting the country.

    “Modi’s policies like note ban have broken the spinal cord of people who are battling unemployment inflation,” he said.

    “Earlier, the PM used to talk of diesel and petrol, but now when the fuel prices are at an all-time high, he doesn’t say anything,” Gandhi said.

    Two months after its launch, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Gandhi entered Maharashtra, where he will address two rallies as part of the cross-country march aimed at reviving the party.

    The 3,570-km-long yatra, a mass outreach initiative which began on September 7 from Tamil Nadu, reached Deglur in central Maharashtra’s Nanded district from neighbouring Telangana on the 61st day of its launch.

    DEGLUR: The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began two months ago, will culminate in Srinagar as scheduled irrespective of any hurdles in the way, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday night, after his march entered Maharashtra from Telangana.

    “The objective of the yatra is to connect (people of) India and to raise voice against division and hatred being sown in the country,” Gandhi said, addressing supporters at Deglur after the Yatra entered the state.

    No force can stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra in between, he said.

    “The yatra will only stop in Srinagar,” he added.

    “Be it farmers or labourers, senior citizens, youth or traders, our doors and hearts are open to all,” he said.

    “We want to hear the voice and pain of Maharashtra,” he added.

    Gandhi said unemployment in India is increasing, and blamed PM Narendra Modi’s policies like demonetisation for the ills afflicting the country.

    “Modi’s policies like note ban have broken the spinal cord of people who are battling unemployment inflation,” he said.

    “Earlier, the PM used to talk of diesel and petrol, but now when the fuel prices are at an all-time high, he doesn’t say anything,” Gandhi said.

    Two months after its launch, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Gandhi entered Maharashtra, where he will address two rallies as part of the cross-country march aimed at reviving the party.

    The 3,570-km-long yatra, a mass outreach initiative which began on September 7 from Tamil Nadu, reached Deglur in central Maharashtra’s Nanded district from neighbouring Telangana on the 61st day of its launch.

  • Pursuing all legal remedies at our disposal: Cong on court directing Twitter to block its account 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday said it was pursuing all legal remedies at its disposal after a court in Bengaluru directed Twitter to block its official handle and that of its Bharat Jodo Yatra over alleged music copyright infringement.

    The party said it was not present during the proceedings and has not received the order.

    A dedicated commercial court for Bengaluru Urban District directed the microblogging site Twitter to block the handles of the Indian National Congress (INC) and its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ till the next date of hearing. Also, the court ordered the removal of three tweets posted by the party.

    The court order came on a suit filed by MRT Music which is the copyright holder of the soundtracks from the film ‘KGF Chapter 2’.

    “We have read on social media about an adverse order from a Bengaluru court against INC & BJY SM handles,” the Congress said on Twitter.

    “We were neither made aware of nor present at court proceedings. No copy of the order has been received. We are pursuing all the legal remedies at our disposal,” the party said.

    It has been alleged by the firm that its copyright has been infringed upon and sought a permanent injunction against the INC and its leaders from using its copyrighted music.

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday said it was pursuing all legal remedies at its disposal after a court in Bengaluru directed Twitter to block its official handle and that of its Bharat Jodo Yatra over alleged music copyright infringement.

    The party said it was not present during the proceedings and has not received the order.

    A dedicated commercial court for Bengaluru Urban District directed the microblogging site Twitter to block the handles of the Indian National Congress (INC) and its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ till the next date of hearing. Also, the court ordered the removal of three tweets posted by the party.

    The court order came on a suit filed by MRT Music which is the copyright holder of the soundtracks from the film ‘KGF Chapter 2’.

    “We have read on social media about an adverse order from a Bengaluru court against INC & BJY SM handles,” the Congress said on Twitter.

    “We were neither made aware of nor present at court proceedings. No copy of the order has been received. We are pursuing all the legal remedies at our disposal,” the party said.

    It has been alleged by the firm that its copyright has been infringed upon and sought a permanent injunction against the INC and its leaders from using its copyrighted music.

  • Unemployment, price rise rampant since 2014: Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI

    MEDAK: Continuing the tirade against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AICC leader Rahul Gandhi who is leading the over 3,500 KM Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday alleged that unemployment and price rise are rampant since 2014 in the country.

    Speaking in a corner meeting at Peddapur village in Medak district, Gandhi alleged that the NDA government is privatising public sector undertakings such as BHEL and Railways.

    “Whenever I meet youth during the foot march they talk about unemployment. You should understand why there is unemployment in the country. You must have observed that unemployment and price rise are rampant since 2014 in the country,” the Congress leader said.

    He further said farmers and small and medium businesses provide more employment and livelihood to people, than big business houses.

    He called a farmer Nagi Reddy on the dais and asked him to explain the situation of farmers in Telangana.

    After Reddy spoke about the indirect impact of GST on agriculture, Gandhi said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Agriculture Minister of the state should learn from Nagi Reddy and listen to the problems of farmers across the state.

    He said today, the yatra is aimed to free India from the clutches of unemployment, inflation and “hatred spread by RSS and BJP.”

    Alleging that the TRS and BJP work in tandem, the Gandhi scion said the black farm laws introduced by the NDA government in Parliament were supported by KCR’s party.

    He said people’s support for the Yatra is overwhelming and he is glad to receive the support and love from the public.

    MEDAK: Continuing the tirade against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AICC leader Rahul Gandhi who is leading the over 3,500 KM Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday alleged that unemployment and price rise are rampant since 2014 in the country.

    Speaking in a corner meeting at Peddapur village in Medak district, Gandhi alleged that the NDA government is privatising public sector undertakings such as BHEL and Railways.

    “Whenever I meet youth during the foot march they talk about unemployment. You should understand why there is unemployment in the country. You must have observed that unemployment and price rise are rampant since 2014 in the country,” the Congress leader said.

    He further said farmers and small and medium businesses provide more employment and livelihood to people, than big business houses.

    He called a farmer Nagi Reddy on the dais and asked him to explain the situation of farmers in Telangana.

    After Reddy spoke about the indirect impact of GST on agriculture, Gandhi said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Agriculture Minister of the state should learn from Nagi Reddy and listen to the problems of farmers across the state.

    He said today, the yatra is aimed to free India from the clutches of unemployment, inflation and “hatred spread by RSS and BJP.”

    Alleging that the TRS and BJP work in tandem, the Gandhi scion said the black farm laws introduced by the NDA government in Parliament were supported by KCR’s party.

    He said people’s support for the Yatra is overwhelming and he is glad to receive the support and love from the public.

  • Rahul does not like backseat driving, best suited to be party’s ‘ideological compass’: Jairam Ramesh

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: Rahul Gandhi does not like backseat driving or asserting his authority and his greatest value going forward will be to play the role of an ‘ideological compass’ for the Congress, senior leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday.

    A week after Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi president in over 24 years, took charge of the party, Ramesh said some people are calling Gandhi the elephant in the room but his response is that the former party chief is actually a ‘tiger on the road’.

    The Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh told PTI, has been a ‘real booster dose’ for the public relationship of the party and its “two Cs”- connectivity for Gandhi and collectivity for the organisation. The most tangible impact is on Congress organisation. Congress morale is now at extraordinarily high levels. Whether this will translate into long-lasting public support is now dependent on the organisation,” the senior leader said.

    Ramesh, who is also walking in the Yatra, cited thinker and philosopher Albert Camus to describe Gandhi’s leadership style — “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me.”

    “Having known Mr. Gandhi for 18 years, and I know him fairly well, he does not like backseat driving, he does not like asserting his position or authority, he is a very democratic person,” Ramesh said.

    The journey undertaken by the party has had a transformative impact in terms of perceptions of Gandhi that had been “distorted very heavily” by the “BJP troll machine”, he said in an interview with PTI during the Yatra here.

    For him personally at the age of 68 as well as for the party organisation, the Yatra is the “last throw of the dice” and a “huge gamble”, Ramesh said.

    Asked what role Gandhi would play with Kharge taking over the party’s reins, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said it is up to Kharge and Gandhi to decide that.

    “Speaking as a Congressman, an office bearer, member of Parliament, I think Mr Rahul Gandhi’s greatest value will be to play the role of an ideological compass for the party,” he said.

    Every party needs an ideological compass or a moral compass, and Rahul Gandhi is ideally suited for that role, Ramesh argued.

    “Now whether he plays that role or not is entirely between him and Mr Kharge. I can only speak for myself. I think his comparative advantage lies in playing the role of an ideological or moral compass, something like the role Mr PN Haksar (former principal secretary to PM) played vis-a-vis Mrs Indira Gandhi from 1967-73,” he said.

    “Of course Mr Haksar was a backroom man whereas Mr Gandhi is very much a front room person,” he added.

    Discussing the Yatra, which started at Kanyakumari on September 7, Ramesh said what it has done very visibly is energise the Congress organisation, be it in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.

    “The Bharat Jodo Yatra, I would not say has opened a window of opportunity, it has opened a door of opportunity. The narrative around the Congress and Gandhi has been transformed, it is no longer a negative vilification narrative,” the senior Congress leader said.

    It is a narrative that acknowledges that this is quite a unique attempt at mass contact, Ramesh said.

    Asked if Gandhi has been a revelation during the Yatra, Ramesh said, “I would not say revelation, it is a revelation for the people who vilified him, who ran him down. It is the real person who is covering 22 km every day. So it is not a new Rahul, it is the real Rahul that has come out.”

    There was a campaign ever since 2009 — when the Congress came back with a heightened majority — to damage, vilify, malign and defame him, and also the Congress party, he said.

    “The election defeat in 2014 and 2019, I don’t think the blame is his (Gandhi). The defeat certainly affected his public persona and the fact that he lost from Amethi as well. What this Yatra has done is that it has given an opportunity for Rahul Gandhi to have an unmediated connection with the people without the media. He does not have a spin machine around him, he is walking 22-23 km daily meeting thousands of people and interacting with a variety of organisations. There is no doubt that post-Bharat Jodo Yatra Rahul Gandhi would be seen dramatically differently both within the organisation and outside as well,” Ramesh said.

    “What I find interesting is that by and large nine of the 10 critics who vilified Gandhi have changed their view or have kept quiet.”

    He dismissed suggestions that the Congress was only focussed on the Yatra and not on the upcoming assembly polls, saying the party organisation was in place and while Ashok Gehlot was leading the charge in Gujarat, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was doing so in Himachal Pradesh.

    If Rahul Gandhi is called upon to campaign, he would take a couple of days off and go for the campaign, he added.

    Ramesh also rejected claims that the Congress is strong in the South and weak in the North.

    The Congress after having gone through the Covid pandemic is now going through Yatra-itis’, he said, citing the main Yatra and sub-Yatras being held in various states.

    Asked about the impact the Yatra would have in the long run, Ramesh said it depends on the organisation and the type of changes AICC chief Kharge and his team are able to put in place.

    “It is not a magic wand, as I said, It is a booster dose. We keep needing booster doses from time to time. This I think is the first real meaningful booster dose after a long time,” he said.

    On whether the party was on the path to revival on the road to 2024 general elections, Ramesh said he would be very circumspect as he believed in the Narayana Murthy model of management which is under promise and overachieve.

    “I am not going to take a gigantic leap and say the Bharat Jodo Yatra is a metamorphosis for 2024, it is a long haul, we have very many deep challenges that we have to confront, it is an opportunity that has been opened,” he said.

    HYDERABAD: Rahul Gandhi does not like backseat driving or asserting his authority and his greatest value going forward will be to play the role of an ‘ideological compass’ for the Congress, senior leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday.

    A week after Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi president in over 24 years, took charge of the party, Ramesh said some people are calling Gandhi the elephant in the room but his response is that the former party chief is actually a ‘tiger on the road’.

    The Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh told PTI, has been a ‘real booster dose’ for the public relationship of the party and its “two Cs”- connectivity for Gandhi and collectivity for the organisation. The most tangible impact is on Congress organisation. Congress morale is now at extraordinarily high levels. Whether this will translate into long-lasting public support is now dependent on the organisation,” the senior leader said.

    Ramesh, who is also walking in the Yatra, cited thinker and philosopher Albert Camus to describe Gandhi’s leadership style — “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me.”

    “Having known Mr. Gandhi for 18 years, and I know him fairly well, he does not like backseat driving, he does not like asserting his position or authority, he is a very democratic person,” Ramesh said.

    The journey undertaken by the party has had a transformative impact in terms of perceptions of Gandhi that had been “distorted very heavily” by the “BJP troll machine”, he said in an interview with PTI during the Yatra here.

    For him personally at the age of 68 as well as for the party organisation, the Yatra is the “last throw of the dice” and a “huge gamble”, Ramesh said.

    Asked what role Gandhi would play with Kharge taking over the party’s reins, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said it is up to Kharge and Gandhi to decide that.

    “Speaking as a Congressman, an office bearer, member of Parliament, I think Mr Rahul Gandhi’s greatest value will be to play the role of an ideological compass for the party,” he said.

    Every party needs an ideological compass or a moral compass, and Rahul Gandhi is ideally suited for that role, Ramesh argued.

    “Now whether he plays that role or not is entirely between him and Mr Kharge. I can only speak for myself. I think his comparative advantage lies in playing the role of an ideological or moral compass, something like the role Mr PN Haksar (former principal secretary to PM) played vis-a-vis Mrs Indira Gandhi from 1967-73,” he said.

    “Of course Mr Haksar was a backroom man whereas Mr Gandhi is very much a front room person,” he added.

    Discussing the Yatra, which started at Kanyakumari on September 7, Ramesh said what it has done very visibly is energise the Congress organisation, be it in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.

    “The Bharat Jodo Yatra, I would not say has opened a window of opportunity, it has opened a door of opportunity. The narrative around the Congress and Gandhi has been transformed, it is no longer a negative vilification narrative,” the senior Congress leader said.

    It is a narrative that acknowledges that this is quite a unique attempt at mass contact, Ramesh said.

    Asked if Gandhi has been a revelation during the Yatra, Ramesh said, “I would not say revelation, it is a revelation for the people who vilified him, who ran him down. It is the real person who is covering 22 km every day. So it is not a new Rahul, it is the real Rahul that has come out.”

    There was a campaign ever since 2009 — when the Congress came back with a heightened majority — to damage, vilify, malign and defame him, and also the Congress party, he said.

    “The election defeat in 2014 and 2019, I don’t think the blame is his (Gandhi). The defeat certainly affected his public persona and the fact that he lost from Amethi as well. What this Yatra has done is that it has given an opportunity for Rahul Gandhi to have an unmediated connection with the people without the media. He does not have a spin machine around him, he is walking 22-23 km daily meeting thousands of people and interacting with a variety of organisations. There is no doubt that post-Bharat Jodo Yatra Rahul Gandhi would be seen dramatically differently both within the organisation and outside as well,” Ramesh said.

    “What I find interesting is that by and large nine of the 10 critics who vilified Gandhi have changed their view or have kept quiet.”

    He dismissed suggestions that the Congress was only focussed on the Yatra and not on the upcoming assembly polls, saying the party organisation was in place and while Ashok Gehlot was leading the charge in Gujarat, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was doing so in Himachal Pradesh.

    If Rahul Gandhi is called upon to campaign, he would take a couple of days off and go for the campaign, he added.

    Ramesh also rejected claims that the Congress is strong in the South and weak in the North.

    The Congress after having gone through the Covid pandemic is now going through Yatra-itis’, he said, citing the main Yatra and sub-Yatras being held in various states.

    Asked about the impact the Yatra would have in the long run, Ramesh said it depends on the organisation and the type of changes AICC chief Kharge and his team are able to put in place.

    “It is not a magic wand, as I said, It is a booster dose. We keep needing booster doses from time to time. This I think is the first real meaningful booster dose after a long time,” he said.

    On whether the party was on the path to revival on the road to 2024 general elections, Ramesh said he would be very circumspect as he believed in the Narayana Murthy model of management which is under promise and overachieve.

    “I am not going to take a gigantic leap and say the Bharat Jodo Yatra is a metamorphosis for 2024, it is a long haul, we have very many deep challenges that we have to confront, it is an opportunity that has been opened,” he said.

  • Don’t want to politicise Gujarat bridge tragedy: Rahul Gandhi

    By IANS

    HYDERABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday declined to blame anybody for the bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat, saying he doesn’t want to politicise it.

    “I don’t want to politicise this incident. People have died and it is disrespectful to them to politicise it,” he said in reply to a question at a press conference in Rangareddy district near Hyderabad during Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    The Congress MP was asked who he would blame for the bridge collapse at Morbi which claimed more than 130 lives.

    Replying to queries about Gujarat elections, he exuded confidence that the Congress will emerge victorious. He also claimed that there is strong anti-incumbency in Gujarat.

    “Congress is fighting effectively. It will win. There is strong anti-incumbency,” he said.

    He did not agree that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has any presence on the ground.

    “AAP is only in air. It’s not there on ground,” he said adding that a false impression is being created about AAP’s strength.

    The Congress leader said Party president Mallikarjun Kharge will decide his role in the elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. “Kharge Ji will decide how I am going to be utilised,” he said.

    On Gujarat not being covered by his Yatra, he said the route was decided from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and it’s not possible to cover every state. “We are covering as many states possibly we can.”

    Gandhi alleged that a lot of damage has been done to the institutional framework of the country under the BJP rule. “There has been systematic attack on different institutions. You know how the press is controlled, pressurised, and threatened. It’s not just media. Judiciary, bureaucracy and all others are under attack. This is extremely damaging to the country,” he said.

    “When Congress comes back to power, we are going to make sure that these institutions are freed from the grasp of RSS and certain independence is maintained in these institutions. That is our record and that is what we will do very aggressively,” he added.

    Replying to another query, he said those who damaged the institutions would have to pay a price.

    The Congress leader also alleged that there is a massive concentration of power and capital in a few hands. He said small and medium business and job creation in the country was destroyed.

    He said if voted to power, Congress would ensure that the business environment is fair and money is not concentrated the way it is concentrated now.

    “If fitness is the goal, the gym is much more effective medium than walking across the country,” he quipped when asked about criticism from some parties that Bharat Jodo Yatra is merely helping him remain fit.

    He claimed that the idea of the Yatra is to fight the hatred the anger BJP is spreading across the country.

    “We are walking 3,500 km across the country and we are inviting people who believe in the idea of Bharat Jodo and they are joining in lakhs. This is a very powerful way of demonstrating the feeling that India has inside. India does not believe in this hatred and violence that BJP is spreading.”

    He claimed that many non-Congress people and workers of other parties were coming to the Yatra.

    Gandhi said that he believes that the country is witnessing a fight between two ideologies, one seeking to divide the nation and spread violence and the other to bring the nation together. “Congress feels that the opposition should work together harmoniously to defeat of ideology of BJP and RSS,” he said when asked about opposition unity.

    He revealed that he was 25-26 years old and was not even in politics when he thought of undertaking a nationwide yatra. He also stated that the idea came up during general discussion several years ago.

    He claimed that the Yatra is a political way to fight BJP’s ideology and this would benefit Congress.”For me, this is a personal journey. I am getting a lot to learn and understand about India.”

    “Obviously it’s political action, not a sports yatra. of course it’s a political action against the way BJP and RSS is dividing and damaging country spreading hatred and violence,” he said in reply to another question.

    “The aim of the action is to spread the message that hatred and violence are weakening the country. They are anti-national activities. Indian culture is harmonious, peaceful and affectionate. It’s 100 per cent political message.”

    Asked if the yatra will translate into votes, Gandhi said that such questions are designed to distract from the core idea of the yatra and to divert the attention of people.

    He believes that the yatra is not magic but the first step to connecting with people. He said the Congress’s connection with people had not broken but weakened.

    HYDERABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday declined to blame anybody for the bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat, saying he doesn’t want to politicise it.

    “I don’t want to politicise this incident. People have died and it is disrespectful to them to politicise it,” he said in reply to a question at a press conference in Rangareddy district near Hyderabad during Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    The Congress MP was asked who he would blame for the bridge collapse at Morbi which claimed more than 130 lives.

    Replying to queries about Gujarat elections, he exuded confidence that the Congress will emerge victorious. He also claimed that there is strong anti-incumbency in Gujarat.

    “Congress is fighting effectively. It will win. There is strong anti-incumbency,” he said.

    He did not agree that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has any presence on the ground.

    “AAP is only in air. It’s not there on ground,” he said adding that a false impression is being created about AAP’s strength.

    The Congress leader said Party president Mallikarjun Kharge will decide his role in the elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. “Kharge Ji will decide how I am going to be utilised,” he said.

    On Gujarat not being covered by his Yatra, he said the route was decided from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and it’s not possible to cover every state. “We are covering as many states possibly we can.”

    Gandhi alleged that a lot of damage has been done to the institutional framework of the country under the BJP rule. “There has been systematic attack on different institutions. You know how the press is controlled, pressurised, and threatened. It’s not just media. Judiciary, bureaucracy and all others are under attack. This is extremely damaging to the country,” he said.

    “When Congress comes back to power, we are going to make sure that these institutions are freed from the grasp of RSS and certain independence is maintained in these institutions. That is our record and that is what we will do very aggressively,” he added.

    Replying to another query, he said those who damaged the institutions would have to pay a price.

    The Congress leader also alleged that there is a massive concentration of power and capital in a few hands. He said small and medium business and job creation in the country was destroyed.

    He said if voted to power, Congress would ensure that the business environment is fair and money is not concentrated the way it is concentrated now.

    “If fitness is the goal, the gym is much more effective medium than walking across the country,” he quipped when asked about criticism from some parties that Bharat Jodo Yatra is merely helping him remain fit.

    He claimed that the idea of the Yatra is to fight the hatred the anger BJP is spreading across the country.

    “We are walking 3,500 km across the country and we are inviting people who believe in the idea of Bharat Jodo and they are joining in lakhs. This is a very powerful way of demonstrating the feeling that India has inside. India does not believe in this hatred and violence that BJP is spreading.”

    He claimed that many non-Congress people and workers of other parties were coming to the Yatra.

    Gandhi said that he believes that the country is witnessing a fight between two ideologies, one seeking to divide the nation and spread violence and the other to bring the nation together. “Congress feels that the opposition should work together harmoniously to defeat of ideology of BJP and RSS,” he said when asked about opposition unity.

    He revealed that he was 25-26 years old and was not even in politics when he thought of undertaking a nationwide yatra. He also stated that the idea came up during general discussion several years ago.

    He claimed that the Yatra is a political way to fight BJP’s ideology and this would benefit Congress.”For me, this is a personal journey. I am getting a lot to learn and understand about India.”

    “Obviously it’s political action, not a sports yatra. of course it’s a political action against the way BJP and RSS is dividing and damaging country spreading hatred and violence,” he said in reply to another question.

    “The aim of the action is to spread the message that hatred and violence are weakening the country. They are anti-national activities. Indian culture is harmonious, peaceful and affectionate. It’s 100 per cent political message.”

    Asked if the yatra will translate into votes, Gandhi said that such questions are designed to distract from the core idea of the yatra and to divert the attention of people.

    He believes that the yatra is not magic but the first step to connecting with people. He said the Congress’s connection with people had not broken but weakened.

  • Rahul Gandhi’s magic spell will work in the next elections: TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has proved his leadership abilities through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha said.

    In an interview to PTI, Sinha said Gandhi’s 3,570-km-long march that began in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu will help the Congress double its tally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    The Congress won 52 seats in 2019 elections.

    “Bharat Jodo Yatra is getting a very good response. Rahul Gandhi’s charisma has started working, and he is getting an excellent response from the people. I feel that Gandhi’s yatra will help double the tally of the Congress in Parliament in the next Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

    “This is a ‘yatra’ in a true sense as Gandhi is walking unlike ‘Rath yatras’ by BJP leaders. Lakhs of people are coming out in his support. He has proved his leadership qualities. People have accepted him as a leader. And, those who made fun of him as ‘Pappu’ and didn’t take him seriously have been proved wrong,” Sinha added.

    The actor-turned-politician won the Asansol Lok Sabha seat on Trinamool Congress ticket in a bypoll in April this year.

    Before fighting the election on a TMC ticket, he had switched over to the Congress from the BJP in 2019.

    “BJP leaders are making fun of Gandhi, but let them also conduct a similar yatra on foot if they have the fire in their belly. The magic spell of Rahul Gandhi will work in the next elections, I feel and I want it to happen,” Sinha said.

    Speaking on the Gujarat elections, the TMC leader said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would either emerge as the “kingmaker or the king” himself.

    “In Gujarat, Kejriwal will either emerge as the king or the kingmaker. There is a churning in the saffron camp in Gujarat. The BJP cannot milk Hindutva or the Ram Mandir issue every time. Kejriwal has played a masterstroke through his demand of photos of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes,” he said.

    Last week, Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to print images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes for the progress of the country.

    “Kejriwal has paid the BJP back with the same coin. The BJP used to act as if they were the master of the ‘Hindutva school of politics’ but Kejriwal is now the headmaster of that school. The BJP can neither swallow it nor discard it,” Sinha said.

    Claiming that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be a “game-changer” in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Sinha hoped that the relation between the TMC and the Congress would improve.

    “There is no last word in politics. Today, the relations are not good doesn’t mean it won’t improve tomorrow. I personally feel that if major opposition parties come together, the political situation of the country will be completely different,” he said.

    On the face of the opposition for the 2024 elections, Sinha said that the people of the country will choose the right leader.

    “This question that who will be next (prime minister) comes up in every election. Once you reach the top politically, it will be decided based on numbers and the mandate. The country never stops, governments keep changing, and new leadership comes up,” he said.

    Sinha, a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government, asserted that the anti-BJP parties are gaining momentum in the states — whether it is Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

    Sinha also targetted the BJP for the “missing” posters that surfaced in Asansol, his constituency, last week.

    “Those who are yet to digest the defeat in the bypoll are behind this. I was in my constituency during Durga Puja, and was here till last week. I am spending Chhaath here in Asansol. I have been regularly visiting Asansol and the people of my constituency will vouch for it,” he said.

    KOLKATA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has proved his leadership abilities through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha said.

    In an interview to PTI, Sinha said Gandhi’s 3,570-km-long march that began in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu will help the Congress double its tally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    The Congress won 52 seats in 2019 elections.

    “Bharat Jodo Yatra is getting a very good response. Rahul Gandhi’s charisma has started working, and he is getting an excellent response from the people. I feel that Gandhi’s yatra will help double the tally of the Congress in Parliament in the next Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

    “This is a ‘yatra’ in a true sense as Gandhi is walking unlike ‘Rath yatras’ by BJP leaders. Lakhs of people are coming out in his support. He has proved his leadership qualities. People have accepted him as a leader. And, those who made fun of him as ‘Pappu’ and didn’t take him seriously have been proved wrong,” Sinha added.

    The actor-turned-politician won the Asansol Lok Sabha seat on Trinamool Congress ticket in a bypoll in April this year.

    Before fighting the election on a TMC ticket, he had switched over to the Congress from the BJP in 2019.

    “BJP leaders are making fun of Gandhi, but let them also conduct a similar yatra on foot if they have the fire in their belly. The magic spell of Rahul Gandhi will work in the next elections, I feel and I want it to happen,” Sinha said.

    Speaking on the Gujarat elections, the TMC leader said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would either emerge as the “kingmaker or the king” himself.

    “In Gujarat, Kejriwal will either emerge as the king or the kingmaker. There is a churning in the saffron camp in Gujarat. The BJP cannot milk Hindutva or the Ram Mandir issue every time. Kejriwal has played a masterstroke through his demand of photos of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes,” he said.

    Last week, Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to print images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes for the progress of the country.

    “Kejriwal has paid the BJP back with the same coin. The BJP used to act as if they were the master of the ‘Hindutva school of politics’ but Kejriwal is now the headmaster of that school. The BJP can neither swallow it nor discard it,” Sinha said.

    Claiming that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be a “game-changer” in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Sinha hoped that the relation between the TMC and the Congress would improve.

    “There is no last word in politics. Today, the relations are not good doesn’t mean it won’t improve tomorrow. I personally feel that if major opposition parties come together, the political situation of the country will be completely different,” he said.

    On the face of the opposition for the 2024 elections, Sinha said that the people of the country will choose the right leader.

    “This question that who will be next (prime minister) comes up in every election. Once you reach the top politically, it will be decided based on numbers and the mandate. The country never stops, governments keep changing, and new leadership comes up,” he said.

    Sinha, a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government, asserted that the anti-BJP parties are gaining momentum in the states — whether it is Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

    Sinha also targetted the BJP for the “missing” posters that surfaced in Asansol, his constituency, last week.

    “Those who are yet to digest the defeat in the bypoll are behind this. I was in my constituency during Durga Puja, and was here till last week. I am spending Chhaath here in Asansol. I have been regularly visiting Asansol and the people of my constituency will vouch for it,” he said.