What about BJP yatras, Cong asks after Centre's COVID warning on Bharat Jodo Yatra

Accusing the Centre of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra because of its success, the Congress on Wednesday said the 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.

Also Read: Follow Covid guidelines or suspend Bharat Jodo Yatra: Health Minister to Rahul

Khera, who pointed to the lack of restrictions on 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.

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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 Bhushans’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 Rahul, 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 a huge public response in Rajasthan, the Congress leader said there should be no 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.

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

In his letter addressed to Rahul and Gehlot, Mandaviya said three MPs from Rajasthan — P P Chaudhary, Nihal Chand and Devji Patel — had flagged concerns. They requested 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.

(With Agency inputs)