Bharat Jodo is for 'Satya'; unlike BJP's Rath Yatra, which was for 'Satta': Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar

Congress leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party's 1990 Rath Yatra was for 'Satta' (power), whereas the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra was for 'Satya' (truth) on Wednesday. 

Kumar, who has been designated as a 'Bharat Yatri' by the Congress and is scheduled to walk the entire 3,570-kilometer Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra, stated that the initiative is not solely political.

"It represents the thinking of the country, which is enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution," in Kumar's words.

When asked how this Yatra differed from previous ones, like the LK Advani-led Rath Yatra in 1990, Kumar said, "That was a political journey. This one is for Satya, not Satta."

When asked about the distinction between Advani's Yatra and the Congress' initiative, he stated, "I don't want to go into the negative impacts of that (Advani's) yatra; the country is seeing the negative impacts of it." Furthermore, he emphasises the positive attitude behind the Congress yatra "representing the people's views."

"This Yatra (Congress') will bring back the truth, whereas that Yatra gave the BJP "Satta. This country is for all," Kumar stated.

In 1990, BJP leader LK Advani's Rath Yatra sparked a mass movement supporting the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, bringing the BJP political dividends.

When asked about the Congress' Yatra, he stated, "It is extremely fortunate for any Indian to have the opportunity to walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. We will meet new people and learn about different cultures, clothing, and languages." Kumar elaborated on the three important social, political, and economic aspects.

According to Kumar, there is also criticism that the country is divided and needs to be unified. Although the nation is not geographically or historically divided, there is a wide disparity between the rich and the poor when it comes to the current administration's intentions and policies," he explained. 

While it is a tax break for corporations, he claims that GST is imposed on milk and curd, which impacts the poor.

On the Yatra's objective, Kumar said that if people are concerned because of misinformation spread through social media, then as a responsible person, one should meet with their brothers and sisters and listen to their problems.

"I'm from Bihar, and you saw what happened during Covid; people walked from Gurgaon and Mumbai to Bihar; why shouldn't political leaders do the same?" he asked.

On the Yatra not going to Bihar, he stated that various factors were considered, south to north or east to west. "We're now moving from south to north."

However, yatras will be held in other states as 'sub-yatras,' according to the former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president.

The Yatra will begin in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, and travel north to Srinagar, passing through Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Nilambur, Mysuru, Bellary, Raichur, Vikarabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Indore, Kota, Dausa, Alwar, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Ambala, Pathankot, and Jammu.

Those taking part in the Yatra are divided into four groups, 'Bharat Yatris,' 'Atithi Yatras,' 'Pradesh Yatris,' and 'Volunteer Yatris.' The Yatra's tagline is 'Mile Kadam, Jude Watan.'

(With inputs from PTI)

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