On Saturday (November 24), the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ of Rahul Gandhi entered Delhi after completing the Haryana leg of his political foot pilgrimage.
After being welcomed by his party cadre at the Badarpur border, the Congress scion yet again showered platitudes about showcasing ‘real India’ and ‘spreading love’ in the midst of a supposed ‘hate-filled campaign of BJP.’
“Some people are spreading hatred but common man of the country is now talking about love. In every State, lakhs have joined the yatra. I’ve said to people of RSS-BJP that we’re here to open the shop of love in your ‘Bazar’ of hatred,” Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying.
Some people are spreading hatred but common man of the country is now talking about love. In every state lakhs have joined the yatra. I’ve said to people of RSS-BJP that we’re here to open the shop of love in your ‘bazar’ of hatred: Rahul Gandhi as Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Delhi pic.twitter.com/akodsWbjRj
— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2022
He further added, “There is no nafrat (hate) in this yatra. If somebody falls, everybody helps them. This is the real Hindustan. Not the BJP’s and RSS’s hatred-filled Hindustan…We want to show them the real Hindustan,”
The Congress dynast was joined by his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi, brother-in-law Robert Vadra and other party leaders such as Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Pawan Khera, and Jairam Ramesh.
Rahul Gandhi embarked on his luxurious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on September 7 this year from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. One of the leaders who was present at the start of the Padyatra was MK Stalin, DMK supremo and ally of the Congress in the State of Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu CM Sh. MK Stalin hands over Khadi Tiranga to Congress leader Sh. Rahul Gandhi in Kanyakumari before the beginning of Bharat Jodo Padyatra.
— Anshuman Sail (@AnshumanSail) September 7, 2022
Rajasthan CM Sh. Ashok Gehlot and Chhatisgarh CM Sh. Bhupesh Baghel and senior leaders remained present. pic.twitter.com/AMb4Xrq3nY
His party, in particular, has been at the forefront of widening the linguistic divide and directing hate against North Indians in particular. During a press briefing on September 9, Rahul Gandhi emphasised that he was fighting against the Indian system rather than any political party.
“We’re not fighting anymore a political party. It’s now between the structure of the Indian state & opposition,” he was heard as saying. The Wayanad MP had earlier confessed that his party is attacking India’s whole infrastructure, alleging that the Centre had taken control of all democratic institutions in the country.
#WATCH | BJP has taken control of all the institutions of this country & pressurise through them…we’re not fighting anymore a political party. It’s now between the structure of the Indian state & opposition: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Tamil Nadu during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ pic.twitter.com/c2sXkFmvgs
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2022
Rahul Gandhi also accused the RSS of infiltrating the nation’s democratic institutions in what appeared to be an effort to win over the public’s sympathy for the Gandhi family’s alleged involvement in the National Herald money laundering case.
Rahul Gandhi remains mute when a Christian priest insults Hindu deities
Two days after the commencement of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi met a rabid anti-Hindu pastor by the name of George Ponnaiah. In a viral video, he was seen learning about Jesus Christ from the pastor. “But, He is not God? Or is he God? Jesus is also God?” the Congress scion asked.
A man in the background was heard explaining how the connection between Jesus Christ and God using the different states of water. “It is Like water, which is in 3 states – solid, liquid, and gaseous form,” he said.
The man then proceeded to explain that Jesus Christ is God and also the son of God. “So, Jesus Christ is a form of God?” inquired Rahul Gandhi.
At that point, Father George Ponnaiah intervened and claimed that Jesus is the ‘real God’, unlike ‘Sakthi & other Hindu gods. The rabid Hindu hater said, “He (Jesus Christ) is a real God, revealed as a human person. Not like Sakthi and all.”
Rahul Gandhi, who otherwise claims to be a janeu dhari Brahmin, remained a mute spectator to the direct insinuation by the Christian pastor that the Hindu deities are not real, and imaginary.
While the Congress party is making a last-ditch effort to turn its political fortunes through the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, it appeared ironic that the Gandhi dynast chose to meet a man who made despicable remarks about Bharat Mata and the Hindu civilisation.
Meeting with a Congress leader who slaughtered a cow to insult Hindus
On September 26 this year, Rahul Gandhi met the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader, who slaughtered a cow in broad daylight in 2017 to mock Hindu sentiments.
Rijil Chandran Makkutty, the said IYC leader, had posted about the development on his official Facebook page. The meeting took place in Pattambi town in the Palakkad district of Kerala as part of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’
In 2017, in defiance of the centre’s move to enforce a ban on cow slaughter, Rijil Makkutty along with his aides dragged a calf and brutally slaughtered it.
The cow is considered a sacred animal by Hindus and the act of publicly slaughtering a calf was meant to send a strong signal to Hindus and a pro-Hindu government at the centre.
At that time, Rahul Gandhi was then forced to try and control the damage. “What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric & completely unacceptable to me & the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident,” he had tweeted.
However, the charade of having a genuine concern for the feelings of Hindus stood exposed as Rijil continued to remain involved in party activities. The agony expressed by Rahul Gandhi on Social Media and the supposed ‘suspension’ of Rijil appeared as an eyewash.
The fact that Rahul had allowed Rijil to continue to work for the Kerala State Congress unit asserted that he had no compunction in associating himself with someone who had wantonly hurt the Hindu sentiments by butchering a calf.
The pictures of Rijil along with Rahul and Priyanka, in the runup to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, are a testimony to it.
Rahul Gandhi stirs rift between Gujarat and Maharashtra
On November 9 this year, the Congress scion attempted to create animosity between the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra by falsely claiming that projects meant for the latter were being moved to favour the former.
He alleged that projects such as the Tata-Airbus military aircraft partnership and the Vendanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant were stolen from Maharashtra and handed to Gujarat ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the neighbouring state.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Your projects are going to Gujarat as Airbus project went from Maharashtra because elections are there in Gujarat. Even the Foxconn project went. Apart from money, jobs & future of state’s youth are also being snatched: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Nanded pic.twitter.com/1NDyEkEyNZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2022
Downplaying the contribution of Indian freedom fighter Veer Savarkar
The Congress scion went on a vitriolic tirade against Veer Savarkar during the Maharashtra leg of his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’ On November 15, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the freedom fighter took a pension from the British government to work against the Indian National Congress (INC).
Again on November 17, he reiterated that Veer Savarkar helped the British government and wrote mercy petitions “out of fear”. Rahul Gandhi accused the Indian freedom fighter of betraying the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Mahatma Gandhi in the Akola district of Maharashtra.
He alleged, “Veer Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said – Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant” & signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru & Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear.”
Veer Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said “Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant” & signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru & Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear: Cong MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/PcmtW6AD24
— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2022
He continued, “While he was lodged in Andaman jail, Savarkar wrote a letter to the British pleading with them that he be pardoned and released. He took a pension from the British and worked against Congress.”
“After coming out of jail, he accepted the British proposal and joined their force. The difference between Savarkar and Birsa Munda is that he died fighting against the British when he was just 24 years old,” Rahul Gandhi further claimed.
Later, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against him based on the complaint of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena leader, Vandana Dongre.
Joining hands with controversial anti-India activists and scandalous politicians
There were several controversial personalities that joined Rahul Gandhi in his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. For instance, ‘Andolanjeevi’ Yogendra Yadav was part of the Yatra for some time. He even released a video praising the march conducted by Congress across India.
Rahul Gandhi also came under fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party for onboarding ‘activist’ Medha Patkar in his Bharat Jodo Yatra on November 17 this year.
Patkar had launched a vicious campaign against Gujarat’s lifeline Sardar Sarovar Project, thereby blocking its funding and delaying the progress of the critically important Narmada Yojana for years.
जब आप समाज के लिए कुछ करते हैं, तो समाज कल्याण में लगे लोग खुद ही आपसे जुड़ते हैं … ‘भारत जोड़ो यात्रा’ में सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता मेधा पाटकर ने की शिरकत।#BharatJodoYatra pic.twitter.com/zkUsab9R8x
— Bharat Jodo (@bharatjodo) November 17, 2022
Earlier in July, a formal complaint was filed in Madhya Pradesh against ‘activist’ Medha Patkar, who rose to prominence as a consequence of the “Narmada Bachao Andolan,” in a cheating case. Medha Patkar and others have been charged with misappropriating funds in the guise of teaching tribal kids.
According to the FIR, Medha Patkar raised more than Rs 13 crore through the ‘Narmada Navnirman Abhiyan’ foundation. She has been accused of inciting anti-government sentiment by soliciting donations for education.
Nonetheless, Rahul Gandhi also met up with 2G scam-accused DMK MP Kanimozhi, and Abhay Thipsay, the man who defended Nirav Modi in the UK court. The Congress scion was also close to onboarding 1984 anti-Sikh riot accused Jagdish Tytler in his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’
He also gave a platform to ‘Muslim intellectuals’ to peddle victimhood, ranging from the supposed persecution of the Muslim community to the preservation and protection of Waqf properties.
During the course of this yatra, his party cadre was found manhandling and soliciting money from a poor vegetable vendor in Kollam. Rahul Gandhi, with his unkempt beard, Lal Singh Chaddha avatar and condescending behaviour, is now trying to portray himself as the poster boy of love, while the behaviour throughout this yatra suggests otherwise.
