Congress Slams Centre for ‘Picking on’ Just Bharat Jodo Yatra For ‘Covid Concerns’

Nuh (Haryana): Accusing the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra because of its success, the Congress on Wednesday said the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) was taking out yatras in Karnataka and Rajasthan and asked if Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had sent letters to their organisers too.

The poser from Congress leader Pawan Khera came after the minister on Tuesday wrote to former party president Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if Covid protocols could not be followed.

Echoing his colleague, All India Congress Committee general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh asked the BJP not to play politics on the matter.

 “I can understand that the BJP is afraid and is in trouble after seeing the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Ramesh told reporters. 

Khera, who pointed to the lack of restrictions in public transport, also asked the government to announce Covid protocols and said the party would follow them.         

"We are wondering why a similar letter was not sent to the president of BJP in Rajasthan Satish Punia who is carrying out a Janakrosh Yatra there. We understand there is not much of a response to that Janakrosh Yatra. There are no people there," Khera told reporters.               

"We also understand there is a huge response across the country to the Bharat Jodo Yatra and there is a lot of crowd here," he added.               

The senior Congress leader said the BJP was taking out yet another yatra in Karnataka.               

"Has the health minister also sent this letter to the Karnataka BJP. We want to know. Today, if you were to travel by air, nobody will ask you to wear a mask or use a sanitiser," said Khera.               

Why has the government of India, he asked, not introduced stringent measures in public transport.               

Khera went on to pose a series of questions.               

"Why just Rahul Gandhi, why just Congress party, why just Bharat Jodo Yatra? Have they postponed the Parliament session... ? If physical Parliament can take place, if the Janakrosh Yatra can take place, if the BJP yatra in Karnataka can take place, if there is no mask compulsory in air travel, why are you picking on Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra..."               

"Please announce Covid protocols, we will all follow Covid protocols," he said.

Ramesh said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan's communication to states asking them to ensure genome sequencing of all positive cases was neither an "advisory nor a warning". However, the minister wrote to Gandhi, said Ramesh.      

 “If it is a serious issue adjourn Parliament, make wearing masks compulsory in flights and put a ban on all public gatherings,” asked Ramesh. 

Stressing that the yatra had received huge public response in Rajasthan, the Congress leader said there should be any double standards. In March 2020, the Congress demanded that a lockdown be imposed but the government did not do so because efforts were on to topple the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, he alleged. As the government fell, the lockdown was imposed, he said. 

He asked the BJP to hold discussions and speak to the Opposition on the matter.

In his letter addressed to Gandhi and Gehlot, Mandaviya said three MPs from Rajasthan -- P P Chaudhary, Nihal Chand and Devji Patel -- had flagged concerns. They requested him that Covid protocols, including the use of masks and sanitisers, be strictly followed during the march and only those who are vaccinated be allowed to participate.               

The MPs have also requested the Union minister to ensure that participants are isolated before and after taking part in the march.             

The yatra entered Haryana on Wednesday from Rajasthan on Wednesday morning.

The  mass contact initiative of the Congress, started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

It will enter Delhi on December 24, and after a break of about eight days, move on to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and finally, Jammu and Kashmir.