Angul (Odisha): Responding to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's assertion that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra represents an ideological battle against the politics of polarization and social, economic, and political injustice, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remarked on Sunday that the 'tukde-tukde' (breaking into factions) gang is merely putting on a show of uniting the country.
Speaking to ANI in Odisha's Angul just hours before the Yatra's launch, Pradhan questioned the ideology of the 'tukde-tukde' gang and stated, "They are staging a drama of uniting the country."
Referring to the upcoming Pran Pratishtha event at the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, the senior BJP leader emphasized, "The country is now 'Ram-may,' the ideology of Ram is prevalent today, and the country has a new awakening. Some people cannot tolerate this progress. So they indulge in this useless politics."
He added, "The country's people have given them an answer in the last two elections, and they will do so this time as well."
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli dismissed terms like "Bharat Jodo Nyay" used by the Congress for Rahul Gandhi's political campaigns, stating that they hold no meaning as the party has no intention of implementing them.
"These words that the Congress party uses for Rahul Gandhi's political campaigns...they have no meaning. The Congress party has no intention to implement them," Kohli said in Guwahati, speaking to ANI on Sunday.
Kohli highlighted the developmental strides in the northeast under the Narendra Modi government, contrasting it with the Congress regime. He noted the increased visits by the Prime Minister and Union Ministers to the region.
"Internet, highways, airports, and railways are at a pace never seen before. Airports have increased from 9 to 17, the second railway station opened in Nagaland after a hundred years. The Congress party was sleeping," Kohli added.
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The BJP spokesperson also pointed out that under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the term "Look East" was coined, which transformed into "Act East" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In contrast, Kohli claimed that the Congress has neither looked nor acted for the northeast.
"Basically, under Atal ji's government, the BJP had said 'look east.' PM Narendra Modi has made it into 'act east.' The Congress party never looked at the Northeast, they never acted for the Northeast. For them, these are only marketing words for Rahul Gandhi's rebranding, yatra, political things," Kohli said.
He concluded by predicting that in 2024, the people of the Northeast will respond to the Congress party's coined words. The 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' is set to commence with a floral tribute at the Khongjom War Memorial, followed by its launch at Myay Maidan, Khongjom in Manipur's Thoubai. Rahul Gandhi aims to cover over 6,700 kilometers over 67 days, traversing 110 districts during the Yatra.
—Input from Agencies