Claiming that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is gaining momentum with every passing day, the Congress on Tuesday alleged that the Union Government is trying to stop Rahul Gandhi by taking the excuse of a surge in COVID cases.
"As Rahul Gandhi is receiving an overwhelming response from every section of society during his ongoing Yatra, the government is desperate to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra", All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters at Srinagar.
He, however, asserted that Rahul Gandhi will unfurl the national flag in the Kashmir Valley, at any cost, to conclude his Yatra.
"We are very much concerned about the health of the people of this country and the COVID situation as well. This entire drama of a surge in COVID cases is created to stop the Yatra", he alleged.
Venugopal was in Srinagar to review the preparations for the Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending public meetings and flights were coming in even from China.
"Flights are coming from China, there is no problem. The Prime Minister is attending public meetings and all other government programmes are happening everywhere, there is no problem", he pointed out.
"Why the government is only writing letters to Rahul Gandhi while other programmes are going hassle-free? he asked.
Earlier met LG Manoj Sinha, and discussed Yatra
On Monday KC Venugopal and other senior leaders of the party including AICC incharge J&K Rajni Patil met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to discuss the upcoming `Bharat Jodo Yatra' of Rahul Gandhi.
KB Byju, Security Advisor to Rahul Gandhi accompanied them. They were joined here by JKPCC president, Vikar Rasool Wani, AICC joint secretary Manoj Yadav, GA Mir, Tariq Hameed Karra, and Raman Bhalla during the meeting with the Lt Governor.
After meeting with the Lt Governor, they left for Srinagar by road, as their flight from Delhi was delayed by around four hours. Their scheduled meeting with LG too was delayed by about one hour.
The meeting with the LG was in connection with the upcoming `Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi in the third week of January. The meeting lasted over half an hour.
Reviews preparations at Srinagar with party leaders
K.C.Venugopal on Tuesday held detailed discussions on the upcoming Bharat Jodo Yatra with party leaders in Srinagar. He also sought feedback about ongoing preparations and arrangements for the Yatra's successful conduct.
K.C.Venugopal had a brief discussion about the mobilization while terming the Yatra a socio-political initiative to protect the idea of India. He declared that people from different political parties believing in the core ideology of Congress would join this Yatra, as that, the Yatra was hope for all Indians.
J&K Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani briefed the leadership about the Yatra preparations, assuring that no stone would be left unturned to make Yatra a very successful event by involving all right-thinking people.
