Former RAW chief AS Dulat, J&K leader Farooq Abdullah join Bharat Jodo Yatra

Former Special Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau & former Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Shri A.S. Dulat joins Shri @RahulGandhi during the #BharatJodoYatra. A.S. Dulat also served as an advisor on J&K in the Vajpayee government after his retirement. pic.twitter.com/fMu6iaN7am

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 3, 2023

The BJP hit out at Dulat for joining the march, with the party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya saying the former RAW chief had a “monumental role in the Kashmir fiasco”.

Controversial former RAW chief AS Dulat joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. No one ever accused Dulat of being committed either to his job or the country he was meant to serve, supped with secessionists and Pakistan’s deep state and has a monumental role in Kashmir fiasco… pic.twitter.com/b57C3nUaTK

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 3, 2023

Among other leaders who joined the march were Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah. Uttar Pradesh leaders like Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav extended their warm wishes to Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday, but are unlikely to join the march.

यही प्यार और आशीर्वाद लिए अपने लक्ष्य तक जाएंगे…देश जोड़ने निकले हैं, देश जोड़कर दिखाएंगे।

आज #BharatJodoYatra में शामिल हुए जम्मू-कश्मीर के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री फारूक अब्दुल्ला जी। pic.twitter.com/tchUjKq360

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 3, 2023

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed big industrialists like “Adani and Ambani may have bought many a politician, PSUs and the media”, but “they have not been, and will never be, able to buy my brother”.

People say Rahul Gandhi does not feel cold even in winter, this is because “he is wearing the shield of truth,” the Congress leader said.

Vadra said she was proud of welcoming the yatra, which entered Uttar Pradesh traversing 3,000 kms from Kanyakumari. “Look at my elder brother, I take the maximum pride in you. Because the establishment put all its pressure. The government spent thousands of crores to destroy his image. But, he did not deter from the path of truth. Agencies were deployed but he did not feel afraid, as he is a warrior. Adani ji, Ambani ji bought big politicians, bought all PSUs, the media, but they could not buy my brother and will never be able to do so. I am proud of him and of everyone else,” she also said.

Meanwhile, BJP Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Rahul Gandhi had become a victim of confusion during his travels. Referring to Gandhi’s remarks on the tensions along the border with China in his interview with actor Kamal Hasan, Trivedi said, “Rahul Gandhi has made his intention clear that India should surrender before China in the same way it used to happen during his party’s government.” The BJP leader added that the interview was an interaction between a “perpetually confused and tensed leader” and “confused film star”.

The yatra, which entered Uttar Pradesh from Ghaziabad on Tuesday will travel across the state over three days before entering Haryana on January 6. The march will then enter Punjab on January 11 and travel across Himachal Pradesh on January 19, before entering Jammu and Kashmir on January 20.

With inputs from PTI