Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ has entered Gujarat on March 7, 2024. While addressing the public in the gathering at Jhalod town in the tribal-dominated Dahod district, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of opposing a nationwide caste census at the behest of his “industrialist friends”.
Gandhi claimed that despite the Prime Minister’s previous self-identification as an OBC, he refused to conduct a caste survey. “When I demanded a caste survey, the PM said there are no castes in India,” Gandhi alleged.
The Congress leader also criticized the BJP-led Union government over the Agniveer scheme of recruitment in the Armed Forces. He expressed concern that a soldier recruited under the scheme would not perform at his best, fearing the Army would not support his family in the event of his martyrdom.
Gandhi further alleged that the Agniveer scheme was a ploy by the Centre to divert funds meant for soldiers’ training, pension, and arms purchasing. He claimed that all contracts were being awarded to a single individual, with Adani now manufacturing rifles and ammunition for the Army.
Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, which began in Manipur and will end in Mumbai, covers a distance of 6,700 km. The yatra will pass through seven districts of Gujarat with sizable tribal populations before proceeding to Maharashtra. The Congress leader was welcomed by local leaders, party workers, and supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has formed an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The yatra’s entry into Gujarat was marked by a setback for the state Congress, with several leaders, including party stalwart Arjun Modhwadia, defecting to the ruling BJP.
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