Rahul launches Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, says no force can silence it

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered Karnataka on Friday morning even as the party hopes to build momentum against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while covering several parts of the poll-bound state.

“The ideology of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and the Bharatiya Janata Party is to spread hate and the main intention of this yatra is to stop it,” Gandhi said in Gundlupet, Karnataka.

“While walking, people talk about their pain and suffering. About unemployment, price rice, issues faced by farmers, privatisation of public assets...the entire country is sharing its pain and suffering with the yatra,” he said, adding that “no forces can silence it” and that the yatra was the “voice of the entire country”.

The procession, which has covered both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is in its leg.

In Karnataka, Gandhi will continue the march for at least 20 days covering over eight districts.

With barely a few months left before state elections, the Congress is hoping to use the Yatra to mobilise support in its favour and corner the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government over issues like corruption, lack of development, communalism among other challenges that the state faces.

Gandhi is scheduled to walk for about 510 km in Karnataka.

“Rahul Gandhi is fed up with communal politics. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the politics of communism, religion and hate started. Today Dalits, backward classes, minorities, women, farmers and others are living in a state of worry. The BJP has never believed in democracy nor does it respect the Constitution,” opposition leader Siddaramaiah said.

He warned the BJP government “to not try and play their dirty politics by tearing up flex and banners of the Yatra as the Congress was capable enough to ensure that no leader from the ruling party will be able to walk freely anywhere in the state after that”.

Meanwhile, the BJP too has planned a series of campaigns and state-wide tours after the ongoing Dasara festival to mobilise support in its favour for next year’s elections.

On Friday, CM Bommai clarified that the BJP workers “had not torn the flexes put up by Congress leaders”.

“Everyone knows that Bharath Jodi Yatra has begun. Those who divided India into two countries are now doing this yatra. The people haven’t forgotten who had created unrest in society. The irony is that the same party is doing ‘Bharath Jodo’ for its survival in politics. Let them do it,” Bommai said.

He added that the BJP leaders, including former chief minister BS Yediyurappa would jointly tour the state after the Dasara festival.