Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra on Sunday, days after the two parties reached a seat-sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls.
Party workers of the SP and the Congress raised slogans in their support as the two leaders, accompanied by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, waved at the crowd gathered in Agra for the yatra.
Attacking the government in his address on the occasion, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Today, farmers are standing against the government. The government is scared of the power of farmers. In the coming time, the BJP will be removed and the INDIA bloc coalition government will give respect to farmers.”
He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party had not given the Backward Classes, Dalits and minority communities the respect they deserve.
“This Agra city is known in the world. I am happy that they have started this shop of love; not only the market in this city, the entire city is a city of love. Carry as much love as you can and keep distributing it throughout the journey,” Akhilesh asked Rahul while hailing the motive of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
The challenge in the coming times is the challenge of saving democracy, saving the Constitution and saving the dream that Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had seen for the poor, the backward, who should get their rights and respect. Yadav stated, adding that even after so many years, no respect is being given to these people by the BJP.
“The message that has to be sent today after this yatra is only one message: defeat 80, remove BJP, save the country and end the crisis. Defeat BJP and when they lose from here, the Constitution will also be saved,” he said
“We hope that in the coming time, the BJP will lose in Delhi, India will form a coalition government to give respect to the farmers, not only respect but also fulfil all their demands regarding MSP (minimum support price). We all raise the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and the people of BJP do not get tired of saying Jai Bharat Mata. Imagine a country where farmers are unhappy, youth’s dreams are being broken, youth have no future, they do not have jobs and employment in their hands, they are worried about jobs and employment and degrees,” the SP chief said.
“We hope that the INDIA bloc and PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) will work to defeat the NDA (National Democratic Alliance). Wherever this PDA will raise its voice, the BJP will be wiped out and this is the message that is being sent through this yatra,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a huge gathering, thanked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for joining the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
“It’s been a year since we started the Bharat Jodo Yatra which covered 4,000 kilometres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, spreading the message of love and harmony. My mission and that of everyone who came here is to fight against the hatred spread by Bharatiya Janata Party and now, Akhilesh ji and Priyanka ji, have joined me in our fight. Our first and most important task is to stand together against the hatred that has been spread in India due to which brother is fighting against brother. The biggest reason for this hatred is that injustice is spreading in India. Injustice to the poor, injustice to farmers, injustice to labourers, injustice to women. If you are poor, you will face injustice 24 hours a day in this country. So the reason for hatred is injustice and hence we have added the word justice in Bharat Jodo Yatra,” the Congress leader said.
“Where are you, where are your people, I will tell you. Your people will be in the MNREGA list. Your people will be in the list of contract labourers. Your people work as labourers. This is what we have to change. This is the meaning of justice, social justice,” Rahul asserted.
While raising the issue of caste census, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that long speeches were made in India, but the poor people, backward people, Dalits, minority people, tribal people, had no participation in this country and this was the goal of the INDIA bloc.
“We are fighting for social justice, fighting for economic justice, fighting for farmers. Farmers want only one thing – legal guarantee on MSP. The government says that it will not give a legal guarantee on MSP. INDIA bloc partners, including Congress, have said that they will implement it soon after coming to power,” she said.
Earlier, Rahul also took out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Aligarh on Sunday. Addressing the people, he alleged that indigenous, small and cottage-scale industries and artisans were suffering in the country as traders linked to large corporate groups were flooding the markets with Chinese goods.
The yatra passed through Agra and entered Dholpur in Rajasthan. The yatra will now take a break before restarting from March 2.
