Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the Centre is coming up with “excuses” to stop the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, a day after Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya urged him to consider suspending the march if Covid-19 protocols are not followed.
“This yatra will go to Kashmir. Now, they have come out with a new idea. They wrote me a letter that Covid-19 was spreading, stop the yatra,” Gandhi said while addressing a gathering in Ghasera village in Haryana’s Nuh district. “Now, they are coming up with excuses to stop the yatra. Wear masks, stop the yatra, Covid is spreading, these are all excuses,” he added.
Mandaviya, meanwhile, said it was his responsibility as the health minister to write the letter after some MPs pointed out to him about people, including Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who took part in the event, contracting the virus. “We have never done politics on Covid crisis and we don’t even want to do it,” Mandaviya said.
On Wednesday, Mandaviya cited concerns over the spread of Covid-19 by three Rajasthan BJP MPs and urged Gandhi and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot to consider suspending the rally if protocols cannot be followed.
To be sure, currently, there are no restrictions imposed by state governments on rallies or any kinds of large gatherings.
Gandhi targeted the BJP, saying it is scared of the truth. “Hindustan ki shakti say, Hindustan ki sachai say, yeh log dar gaye hai, yeh sachai hai (they have got scared of power and truth of the country. This is the truth),” Gandhi said.
The party also took a swipe at the Centre, asking citizens to “understand the chronology” as it pointed out that Mandaviya’s letter and Modi’s review of the Covid-19 situation came just days before the yatra is set to enter Delhi. “Health minister writes a letter to Rahul Gandhi yesterday. PM is reviewing situation today. Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Delhi day after. Ab aap chronology samajhiye…. (now, understand the chronology),” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
He alleged the Modi government “suddenly agreed” to adjourn Parliament sine die on Friday “so that its use of Covid-19 to defame and derail the yatra acquires a shade of respectability”.
