`Bharat Jodo Yatra’ has worried the BJP: Jairam Ramesh

He said it was not meant for a ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monologue, but to listen to voices from various sections of the country

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the `Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by party leader Rahul Gandhi had unsettled the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which had resorted to “cheap, childish and stupid” diversionary tactics.

“The padayatra has evidently worried the BJP and has prompted them to target T-shirts, containers, socks, shoes and hairstyles. Let them raise whatever question they want and play whatever mischief on the social media. Their only objective is to derail us. We will not be cowed down and diverted,” the leader, who is in charge of the party’s communications wing, said while addressing the media in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Ramesh said the rally was not meant for a ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monologue, but to listen to different voices that represented various cross-sections of the country. He said, “It is a counter movement to the ‘Bharat Thodo’ (divide India) project of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP. While the BJP stood for uniformity, we (Congress) worked to strengthen the unity in the country.”

While the `Bharat Jodo Yatras’ will pass through 12 States over 148 days, smaller rallies will be organised in the other ‘non-yatra’ States including Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, he added.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the initial days of the `yatra’ had been successful “beyond expectations” with lakhs of people joining the movement in Kanniyakumari. The rally was certain to become a historic milestone in Indian politics, he remarked.

Clarifying that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] had not extended a welcome to the rally in Kerala, Mr. Venugopal accused the party of being on the “same page” as the BJP. “While our focus is primarily to undo the harm dealt by the BJP in the country, the CPI (M) can try all they want to divert focus,” he said, while quickly adding the Central leadership of the CPI (M) differed from its State unit in its political stance.

He also said the Congress presidential election would be democratic and transparent, even while insisting that Mr. Gandhi was the only leader who “can fight the evil forces in the current scenario”.