Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for inviting him to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which enters Uttar Pradesh on January 3.
In a letter in Hindi, Yadav wrote, “Best wishes for the success of the Bharat Jodo campaign. India is more than just a geographical expanse; it is united by love, non-violence, compassion, cooperation, and harmony. Hope this yatra achieves its goal of preserving this inclusive culture of our country.”
The Congress, earlier in December, had extended an invitation to SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary to join the yatra. Akhilesh Yadav had feigned ignorance of the letter, saying he had received no letter from the Congress about joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Our wishes are with the yatra, but we have not got any invitation. Our party’s principles are different. Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress — both are the same,” he said.
Akhilesh’s attack on the Congress is not new. In March 2021 too, he had said, “… the ways being followed by the party are the same as the BJP.”
The Uttar Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Ghaziabad’s Loni area on January 3 and travel to Haryana via Kairana in Shamli. The next day, the yatra will reach Mavi Kalan in Baghpat and pass through Baghpat city and Sisana, Sarurpur and Barot in the same district. On January 5, the yatra will reach Alam in Shamli district and pass through Kandhla, Uncha village, and Kairana.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on December 27 had said that the Congress and the BJP were the “same” — thereby putting a lid on all speculations about his participation in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Akhilesh’s statement also signalled that the SP was not keen on any alliance with the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Akhilesh Yadav is not inclined towards an alliance with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due to the party’s past experience in the 2017 state elections.
After Akhilesh’s attack, the Congress went on the back foot and confirmed that the SP chief would not participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra despite invitation neither would his ally and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary. Congress zonal president Nakul Dubey said, “Akhilesh has expressed his inability to participate in the Yatra. Jayant Chaudhary has said he is ill.”
Asked about Akhilesh’s remark that he had not received an invitation, Dubey said: “Whether the invitation has reached or not becomes a disputed fact then. Invitations are going to all. Bharat Jodo Yatra has nothing to do with principles. Those who want to save India from slavery should join us and those who don’t, can refrain. There is nothing about principles here, it is only about uniting Bharat.”
Meanwhile, former chief minister of UP and Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati on Monday extended best wishes to Rahul Gandhi for the Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.
She also thanked Gandhi for his letter inviting her to join the yatra.
“Best wishes for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and thanks to Rahul Gandhi for his letter inviting me to join the yatra,” Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.
However, the tweet was silent about whether Mayawati would participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The padayatra in UP will cover around 130 kilometres touching 11 assembly constituencies in which Congress performed worst in the 2022 assembly polls.