Saw no hatred and violence anywhere, but on TV all the time: Rahul Gandhi at Red Fort rally

The Bharat Jodo Yatra reached the Red Fort in New Delhi on Saturday, where the Delhi leg of the yatra concluded with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Red Fort.

Addressing the rally outside the Red Fort, Rahul Gandhi said he has not seen violence or hatred anywhere in the country while walking hundreds of kilometres from Kanyakumari to Delhi. He said he has traversed across the country, “but I have not seen violence, hatred anywhere. But I see it on television all the time.”

‘Diverting attention’

Hatred in the name of Hindu-Muslim is being spread through television 24×7 to divert the attention of people from the real issues, he alleged, stressing that this is the truth. “After doing Hindu-Muslim 24 hours, they will hand over your money and sell all your ports, airports, roads and other assets to their crony friends…. They try to divert your attention all the time,” he said.

Also read: What next after Bharat Jodo Yatra? Cong draws up future strategies

The former Congress chief also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent thousands of crores of rupees to destroy his image, but he has shown the truth to the country in just a month.

Thanking people for support

Gandhi also thanked people for the love and support showered on him so far during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered its 108th day on Saturday, and said after his request made in Rajasthan, people have opened lakhs of shops to spread love across the country.

“This is not a Narendra Modi government, it is the Ambani-Adani government,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.

“Thousands of crores are being given to big industrialists but not to common people. These are not policies, but weapons to destroy small businessmen, traders, farmers,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi said the Bharat Jodo Yatra aims at uniting India and will spread awareness against price rise, unemployment, communal hatred and violence.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi were present during his speech outside the Red Fort.

Kamal Haasan joins yatra

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan joined the yatra in the afternoon near ITO. After joining the yatra, he said, “Many people ask me why I’m here. I’m here as an Indian. My father was a Congressman.”

Delhi | Many people ask me why I'm here. I'm here as an Indian. My father was a Congressman. I had various ideologies & started my own political party but when it comes to the country, all political party lines have to blur. I blurred that line & came here: Actor Kamal Haasan pic.twitter.com/nAFyeeK18K

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2022

“I had various ideologies and started my own political party but when it comes to the country, all political party lines have to blur. I blurred that line and came here,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi will be visit places like Rajghat, Veer Bhumi, Shakti Sthal and Atal Behari Vajpayee Memorial on Sunday (December 25). He was supposed to go today but the plan was changed because the yatra took longer to conclude than initially planned.

To resume on January 3

The Bharat Jodo Yatra will now resume on January 3 for its onward journey to Jammu and Kashmir, after passing through Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

Also read: Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Delhi; Sonia joins Rahul, workers

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi Saturday morning.

Upon entering Delhi, Gandhi said the purpose of the Yatra is to showcase “real Hindustan” where people help each other, unlike RSS and BJP’s version of a hate-filled one.

#WATCH | Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra enters national capital Delhi.

(Source: AICC) pic.twitter.com/KH2eyPjTxD

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2022

“There is no nafrat in this yatra. If somebody falls, everybody helps them. This is the real Hindustan. Not the BJP’s and RSS’s hatred-filled Hindustan,” said Gandhi while addressing a gathering at the Delhi border. He also thanked the “lakhs of people” who provided love and support to the rally.

Traffic was affected in parts of southeast Delhi as the yatra entered the city.

The yatra covered roughly 23 kms in Delhi, starting from the Badarpur border where it entered the capital city from Haryana, and culminated at Red Fort. It passed through Nizamuddin, India Gate, ITO, Delhi Gate and Daryaganj.

(With Agency inputs)