As Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the 107th day on Friday, 23 December, while passing through Faridabad in Haryana, Bihar Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar joined the yatra and launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
What Kumar said on hate politics: "We aim to bring in positive politics in the country. With positive politics, no matter which party wins, the people will benefit. Be inflation, small-scale industries, women's issues, farmers, agriculture, or border security – positive politics will benefit all," Kumar told The Quint.
Blaming the ruling party on attempting to polarise the country, he said: "The BJP has no problem when Rahul Gandhi visits a church or a mosque. But if he goes to a temple, they have an issue. Every citizen of the country is free to visit whichever place of worship they wish to. Does the BJP have a patent on the country's temples? They even point out the rules and rituals that he follows – whether the holy veil has been worn properly or not; all this comes from them who pretend to meditate in a cave."
What Kumar said on COVID-19: Accusing the the BJP of using COVID-19 as an excuse to stop the yatra, Kumar asked why protocols were never followed by the BJP during the delta variant wave.
"Now, when there is an online meeting with chief ministers, why was he wearing a mask? Does he think of us as fools? They need to understand that COVID is not an excuse, but an actual disease," he said.
Day 107 of Bharat Jodo Yatra: The march on Friday saw attendance by several high-profile leaders, including former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MPs Randeep Surjewala and Shaktisinh Gohil, and Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) leader and MP Kanimozhi.
The march which began at the Kherli Lala village at 6:00 am, entered Faridabad at around 10:00 am, following which Gandhi met several stakeholders from the MSME sector. The march will enter the national capital on Saturday, following which it will be suspended till 2 January.
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