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Rahul Gandhi’s Burberry T-shirt and his scraggly beard, V D Savarkar and north India’s chilling winters, the Kathua rape and Covid… Because the curtains fall, the Bharat Jodo Yatra replays in a patchwork of points private and the overtly political with controversies aplenty to make sure the highlight seldom wavered.
The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra began from the southern tip of the nation on September 7 and ends on January 30 in Srinagar, some 145 days and three,500 km later. The cross-country foot march stayed within the information virtually proper by, principally for the barbs between the BJP and the Congress and infrequently for different causes, together with infighting within the opposition get together.
It began throughout the first leg in Tamil Nadu with the BJP attacking Gandhi for sporting a Burberry T-shirt allegedly value Rs 41,000. The Congress hit again again with a “Rs 10 lakh swimsuit” and “Rs 1.5 lakh glasses” barb directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It was just the start.
Because the Gandhi-led yatra continued so did the sparring – on social media platforms, TV debates and on the streets.
Additionally Learn | Why BJP is likely to restrict Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir
In the course of the early days of the yatra, the grand previous get together, as an illustration, tweeted an image of khaki shorts, typically related to members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on fireplace. This triggered a backlash from the BJP, which accused the Congress of instigating violence.
And the BJP, in Tamil Nadu, accused the Congress of being anti-Hindu over Gandhi’s assembly with a controversial Christian priest.
In Kerala, the Congress was left red-faced when a photograph of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar appeared on a marketing campaign poster close to Kochi. The Ernakulam District Congress Committee, which organized an enormous preparation for welcoming the yatra, resorted to a fire-fighting train by instantly suspending the Congress employee accountable for it.
Gandhi’s gray beard was on the centre of a disagreement between the 2 events with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming at a ballot rally in Gujarat that the previous Congress chief had began wanting just like the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. This drew a rebuke from the Congress which mentioned he appeared like a “troll”.
There have been additionally instances when dissensions throughout the get together and its allies got here to the fore.
Additionally Learn | Bharat Jodo Yatra aimed at changing India’s situation, not to improve Rahul’s image: Omar Abdullah
The Maharashtra leg noticed fissures floor between the Congress and its ideologically incompatible ally Shiv Sena after Gandhi attacked Savarkar over his mercy petitions to the British.
In Madhya Pradesh, a disaster erupted within the get together in Rajasthan, the yatra’s subsequent vacation spot, when Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot slammed his former deputy Sachin Pilot and known as him a ‘gaddar’ in an interview.
The matter was resolved within the nick of time and a present of unity was put up by Gehlot and Pilot with get together normal secretary, organisation, Okay C Venugopal brokering an uneasy truce simply forward of the yatra getting into the desert state.
Because the yatra entered Rajasthan, the spectre of Covid loomed massive. Union Well being Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote to Gandhi and Gehlot, asking them to contemplate suspending the march if Covid protocols couldn’t be adopted. Gandhi hit again saying the BJP was getting nervous and utilizing Covid as an excuse to cease his march.
The Congress and the BJP sparred when former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan joined the march after which later when former military chief Gen (retd) Deepak Kapoor participated within the yatra in Haryana.
The 2 events have been at loggerheads once more when Union minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that Gandhi was happening a vacation and that’s the reason his Bharat Jodo Yatra had taken a protracted break December-end.
Congress normal secretary Jairam Ramesh has repeatedly demanded an apology from Joshi for his remarks that Gandhi was happening a vacation. Gandhi spent the break in Delhi throughout the December-end break.
Gandhi’s white T-shirt, no sweater look in north India’s famed winter was additionally the topic of a lot consideration. He mentioned he determined to put on solely T-shirts throughout the march after assembly three poor women “shivering in torn garments” in Madhya Pradesh.
That’s when he determined that till he shivers, he will not put on a sweater, the Congress chief mentioned.
Earlier this month, Gandhi sparked a row when he mentioned the Congress believes in ‘tapasya’, whereas the BJP is an organisation of ‘pooja’. India is a rustic of ‘tapasvis’ (ascetics) and never ‘pujaris’ (clergymen), he mentioned. The BJP slammed Gandhi, saying he Congress has “DNA of divide and rule”. “Respect Tapasya however why denigrate Pujaris,” a BJP spokesperson requested on Twitter.
One other controversy to hit the Congress was over Dongra Swabhiman Sangthan Sangathan Celebration (DSSP) chief Choudhary Lal Singh’s choice to hitch the Bharat Jodo Yatra, resulting in objections from a piece of the Congress and different events.
Congress spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath resigned from the get together on January 17 over the get together agreeing to Singh’s assist to the yatra, alleging that he was accountable in sabotaging the 2018 Kathua rape case by “openly defending” the rapists of the eight-year-old woman.
Nationwide Convention vice chairman Omar Abdullah additionally opposed the participation of Singh.
Within the newest row, senior Congress chief Congress chief Digvijaya Singh questioned the federal government’s claims on surgical strikes and accused it of peddling lies.
This drew a livid response from the BJP, which mentioned the opposition get together was blinded by its “hate” for Prime Minister Modi and has “insulted” the armed forces.
There have additionally been casualties throughout the yatra.
Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary died following a cardiac arrest throughout the Punjab leg. A Congress Seva Dal functionary died after collapsing in Nanded in Maharashtra.
Moreover, a 62-year-old man from Tamil Nadu died and one other individual from that state was injured after being hit by a truck in Nanded once they have been taking part within the Congress’ foot march.
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