Undertook Bharat Jodo Yatra to communicate with people as media ignores issues like unemployment, inflation: Rahul Gandhi
MUMBAI, March 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday addressed an INDIA bloc’s mega rally named -the Bharat Jodo Nyay Manzil- in Mumbai. In a hard-hitting speech, Gandhi asserted ‘Raja ki aatma EVM mein hain (king’s soul is in the EVM) referring to the EVM controversy in which several opposition leaders claim that the BJP wins the elections after tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti. The soul of the king is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department. A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said ‘Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don’t have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.’ Thousands of people have been threatened like this,” the Congress leader said.
Unleashing attacks at PM Modi, he said the PM is just a mask and he does not have a 56-inch chest, he is hollow.
“People are going to BJP out of fear of ED and other probe agencies, Gandhi added. ”We had to undertake this yatra because the communication system of the country, including media and social media, is not in the hands of the country. Issues that concern the public like unemployment, violence, inflation, farmers’ issues, etc. are not being shown. To attract the attention of the country, we had to walk 4,000 kms,” said Gandhi.
Other opposition leaders present at the rally also address the mega rally at the Shivaji Park.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav hailed Gandhi, saying he undertook the yatra to unite the country.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his “strong determination” on the occasion of the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, and described him as a “rare person”.
Rahul Gandhi concluded his 63-day-old Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai by paying tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar at his memorial Chaityabhoomi in central Mumbai and reading the Preamble of the Constitution.
Akhilesh Yadavwas scheduled to take part in the event.
However, the SP chief did not attend the event.
MVA seal seat-sharing
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (SS-UBT), Congress, and the NCP – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) are believed to have sealed the seat-sharing agreement in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite the split, SS-UBT will be a “big brother” as the party is expected to get a lion’s share with 22 seats followed by Congress’ 16 seats and NCP-SP’s 10 seats to contest the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra’s 48 Parliamentary constituencies.
Informed sources from the three parties said that three MVA partners are making all efforts to leave at least four seats to Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi and one to Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana led by Raju Shetti, from their respective quota. (Agencies)